With a passion for youth development, Sara Torpey brings over 20 years of counselling experience to her practice. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in School Counselling, and has spent her career supporting adolescents, young adults, and their families through life’s challenges.
Sara has worked as a School Counsellor in the Northern Rivers since 2019 — a role that sharpened her ability to connect with young people, and inspired her to extend that support beyond the school gate through private practice.
Before her roles at Living School (Lismore) and Byron Community Primary School (Byron Bay), Sara worked across a wide range of settings: individual and group counselling for teens and adults, inpatient psychiatric care for adolescents, addictions counselling, case management, rehabilitation counselling, and mental health advocacy in court. That breadth of experience means very little surprises her — and it shapes a practice that’s supportive, judgment-free, and trauma-informed for adolescents and adults alike.
Alongside her work with young people, Sara also supports women navigating motherhood, trauma, or recovery — including women finding parenting hard, and women recovering from sexual assault, trauma, and domestic violence. She brings the same trauma-informed, non-judgmental approach to this work, creating a space to process what’s happened and rebuild a sense of safety and self.
Sara understands the complexities of growing up, and holds space for young people as they navigate this transformative stretch of life. She believes her clients have real capacity for growth — her job is to help them find their own strengths and resources along the way.
Her approach is person-centred, focused on the needs of both the individual and the family unit, and draws on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness, Psycho-education, and Motivational Interviewing. She helps clients build healthy coping strategies, navigate emotional challenges, and build self-esteem. For parents, Sara offers guidance on healthier communication, co-regulation strategies, building trust, and setting healthy boundaries — with the aim of helping families rebuild strong connections and get through this period of change together.