Sarah Gugluizza, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing mental health treatment in a private practice setting that is collaborative, supportive and personalized to each client. Sarah leads her practice under the belief that we all have different experiences in life that impact how we react to the world. Our experiences sometimes require us to need extra assistance from a helping hand or a stepping stone to navigate our worlds a little better. Each individual’s journey is unique and special, and deserving of quality services and support.
Sarah is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of New York. She received her Masters Degree (MSW) From New York University, Silver School of Social Work in Social Work and has been working clinically with children and adults since graduating in 2008. Sarah received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. John’s University in Psychology with a minor in Social Work in 2007. She has spent her career working in many clinically diverse settings, which have given her a wealth of experience toward providing treatment to children, adolescents and their families in psychoeducational, psychiatric, and behavioral capacities.
Sarah administratively ran two clinics within Coney Island Hospital’s School-Based Mental Health Program. While in this position, Sarah restructured the program, addressed daily programmatic issues with school faculty, created emergency policies, and facilitated community outreach; all while carrying full therapeutic caseloads of elementary and middle school aged children. Sarah was the social worker for the In-Patient Pediatric Psychiatric Unit at Elmhurst Hospital Center providing family and group therapy, service coordination, crisis work, and treatment and discharge planning for child & adolescent patients and their families. Sarah was a therapist in the Intensive Day Treatment Program at New York City Children’s Center treating children and adolescents ranging from ages 6-17 with emerging and persistent mental health needs. In this position she conducted screenings, lead case conferences, provided individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, treatment and disposition planning, consultation and liaison with other providers, and case management. Additionally, Sarah has had several years of experience working in community-based mental health programs, servicing pre-school and school-aged children and adolescents through counseling and skill-building, and psychoeducation and parenting skills to their parents/caregivers as well as treating adult patients in various stages of their lives.
In conjunction with her private practice, Sarah works for the Department of Education as an Early Childhood Social Worker, where her focus is to support pre-k programs, pre-k students and their families. Sarah supports administrators and teachers to implement practices that promote social and emotional development, and develop and implement family engagement activities to build skills and capacity in pre-k families to support their child. She makes classroom observations, recommendations to community resources, and meets with families when additional social-emotional and educational assistance is required. As well, Sarah is a Behavior Specialist, providing intensive consultation, crisis intervention, and behavioral management strategies to support students and programs when an emergent need is identified.
Sarah specializes in working with children, adolescents and their families and practices using a variety of treatment methods including Play Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Clients under Sarah’s care have presented with emerging and persistent mental illness, histories of severe trauma, neurodevelopmental delays, learning disabilities, spectrum disorders, behavioral issues, substance abuse issues, and LGBTQ issues. She has run many groups for children including social skill building, anger management, storytelling, ADHD, and teen support. She works with parents to support them and their child through their areas of concern, challenging issues and to build and enhance their parent toolbox.
Sarah’s adult clients are cared for in counseling as they address life issues and stressors that may arise such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, persistent mental illness, and interpersonal relationships. Sarah also specializes in women’s issues, focusing on areas of concern pertaining to pregnancy, childbirth and their post partum experience. She is certified in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders through the Postpartum Support International to support her practice in providing treatment to women at this vital and intimate time in their life.
Sarah completed additional post-graduate certificate programs through New York University, Silver School of Social Work in different specialty areas. She is certified as a Child and Family Therapist; she is also certified as a Supervisor in Field Instruction (SIFI). Over the years, Sarah has supervised several social work graduate students, task-supervised psychology interns and medical residents. She currently offers supervision to students and colleagues toward their schooling and clinical hours for licensing.
In practice, it is a joy for Sarah to witness an individual’s world and address them with respect, understanding and validation. She prides herself on her office being a safe and nurturing space that allows for clients to feel comfortable and at ease so that they can grow, learn, change, feel secure and overcome their challenges.