Sarah "Howie" Howard

MSW, LCSW

Telehealth Available

insurance accepted

Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Medcost, Oscar, United Healthcare, Oxford

Get to know Sarah

Howie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina. Howie is originally from Hillsborough, North Carolina, but relocated to Raleigh as she began her career. Howie completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and earned a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

As she was growing up in Hillsborough, NC, Howie was involved in service to her community by being a volunteer camp counselor for the Girls Rock NC program. This was an experience that led Howie to being committed to social justice and supporting youth as they grow, develop and explore their identities. This commitment to ethical service continued throughout her time at UNC Chapel Hill. At UNC, Howie was a member of the Bonner Service Scholars program and provided childhood support programming at the Orange County Family Resource Center. Her love for people and desire to see people fully was only deepened by her study of sociology and social work.

During her time in her MSW program, Howie was partnered with Families Moving Forward (FMF), the largest rapid rehousing shelter in Durham, where she worked with the children’s programming specialist to provide activities and support for children in shelter. Her work there inspired her to continue to serve people experiencing homelessness by interning at the Community Empowerment Fund, where she worked on homelessness systems and worked directly with individuals in navigating the homelessness systems.

Howie began her mental health career journey in community mental health where she provided crisis work and provided intensive in-home services. Through her work in community mental health, she cultivated a passion for working with adolescents, adults, and families. Howie is passionate about helping clients understand their feelings and their unique relationship with their emotions. Howie is especially passionate about working with teenagers and their families to help them navigate growing up and changing relationships. Her specialties and professional interests include working with neurodivergent folks (ASD, ADHD), LGBT and Queer folk, trauma and crisis, depression, and anxiety. Howie uses an evidenced-based treatment approach called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a Trauma Focus. This approach has been shown to help children, adolescents, and adults overcome trauma-related difficulties. It is designed to reduce negative emotional and behavioral responses following trauma, including child sexual abuse and other maltreatment, domestic violence, traumatic loss, mass disasters, multiple traumas, and other traumatic events. The treatment addresses distorted or upsetting beliefs (“I am permanently damaged”, “I am not a good person”) and attributions related to traumatic experiences.

Howie believes in providing gentleness and warmth to create a trauma-focused and empathetic atmosphere. Howie encourages playfulness and curiosity throughout the treatment process. Howie affirms that therapy should be a judgment-free zone that also recognizes the role of systematic oppression in our day-to-day lives. Howie brings in an abundance of excitement when others make progress toward their goals. She is the ultimate cheerleader all along the way!

In her spare time, Howie enjoys goofing with her puppies Daphne and Velma (ZOINKS!), attempting to start a new hobby she just read about online, reading about sociological principles; sipping a sweet tea or a hot breakfast tea or hot cocoa, depending on the weather; singing along to that Beyonce song; or trying to climb a tree.

If you would like to be connected Howie, with please email raleigh@wefixbrains.com, call 919-900-7552, or click this link to request an appointment today! Prioritizing your mental health is essential to your overall well-being. Your body, mind, and spirit rely on your mental health. If you can't take care of yourself, it affects your relationships and even physical health. We would love to support you in reaching your counseling goals! Call or connect today!

Click here to view Sarah's profile on Psychology Today.