Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Balkanli Watkins.
Hi Sara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Houston, the only daughter of a Turkish immigrant & an American mother. Houston is such a diverse city, and my love for people’s stories started there. I grew up with kids from so many different backgrounds & circumstances, each with their own story to share. I loved meeting new people & learning more about their lives and stories. I knew I wanted to incorporate my love for people into a career where I could help others.
I graduated high school & moved to San Marcos where I attended Texas State University (Eat Em Up, Cats!). I bounced around between a few different majors, but I finally settled on Communication Studies. I was fascinated by how we use communication to develop & build relationships with others. I took classes that helped me develop an understanding of the intersections between communication, identity formation, and relational development. I also pursued a minor in Sociology to learn more about how society & culture shape who we are, which complemented my Communication Studies degree. I graduated in 2013 with my Bachelor of Arts. At the time, I didn’t realize I wanted to be a therapist, but looking back my undergraduate studies have definitely helped shape my lens of practice as a therapist & the work I do with my clients.
After I graduated college, I tried a few different jobs. I dabbled in real estate, sales, and social media marketing, all of which left me feeling unfulfilled. I wanted to make a true difference in the lives of others, not just sit behind a desk making meaningless money for other people. I felt lost and unsure of myself & my purpose. During this time, I also lost my grandmother to cancer. This profound loss shifted my perspective on the trajectory of my life. Her dying wish was for me to continue my education and pursue a Master’s degree. Losing my grandmother was painful, but through this pain I found the push I needed to take the next step in my life.
Throughout this time, I was actively in my own therapy. I was labeled a “drama queen” as a child, but looking back I realize now that I struggled with anxiety starting from a young age. After I went to college, my anxiety progressed to the point where I was experiencing significant physical & emotional distress. I started going to therapy in 2010, and completely fell in love with it. In fact, 12 years later, I still work with the same therapist I started with! After much reflection, research, and inspiration, I decided to pursue a career as a therapist. The culmination of my own therapeutic work, my academia, and my passions finally aligned. I graduated from St. Edward’s University with a Master of Arts in Counseling in 2018. Since graduation, I have worked in a variety of therapeutic settings. My experience includes providing individual, couple, family, and group counseling services at schools, non-profits, and group practices here in Austin.
In the summer of 2022, I decided to take the leap and open Sunstone Psychotherapy, my own private practice. I chose the name Sunstone Psychotherapy because I love crystals & Sunstone has always been one of my favorites. Sunstone is said to bring light to the darkness, inspire joy, develop courage, facilitate self-empowerment, & give us the strength to speak our truth. This is the work I do with my clients. Sunstone Psychotherapy is my labor of love, my pride & joy, and my greatest dream realized. It’s been a journey, but we made it honey!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
They say “nothing worth having ever came easy”. I don’t know who “they” are, but they are right! I certainly faced many challenges along my road to becoming a therapist.
One of the challenges I encountered early on was finding a graduate program that would be the right fit for me. As I mentioned, my Bachelor’s degree is in Communication Studies. Traditionally folks going into the field of counseling have a Bachelor’s degree in either psychology or social work, so I was a little bit outside the box for a lot of programs. I applied to several different schools & departments and was turned down several times due to my “inapplicable experience”. I am grateful that St. Edward’s saw the strengths in my prior academic work & gave me a chance. It’s funny how that works, because now communication skills & conflict management are one of my areas of specialty. Seems pretty applicable to me!
Another challenge I experienced was just the sheer grind of the training process. I’ll never forget my last semester of graduate school. I was doing 2 different unpaid internships from 9am-6pm, going to class from 6:30-9:30pm, working at a part-time job, and still maintaining my home taking care of my two rescue dogs. In the midst of all of this I developed some health issues and had surgery somewhere in there. It was total chaos! My graduate program and internship supervisors kept saying things like “Be sure to prioritize self care!”, and I was like “With what time?! I am working 12+ hours a day!” The messages I was receiving, and the requirements & expectations of the program were so contradictory. It was like throw yourself into the fire for the sake of training & paying your dues, but also don’t work too hard and forget to take care of yourself. It was challenging to manage it all. Although it was a struggle, I am grateful for that time. I learned the true depths of my resiliency, strength, and grit. I wanted it, so I made it happen. That drive has pushed me through a lot of hard times in my life, and it has helped me learn and grow into the person I am now. Nothing can stop me now.
I am also incredibly grateful that I had such a great support system with my family, partner, friends, and therapist. That is my biggest piece of advice for up-and-coming therapists in training – get yourself a solid support system. I had friends & family helping me take care of my animals, offering to send me dinner through Uber Eats to class on days when I didn’t have time to eat and sending me loving words of encouragement when I was feeling down. I kept up with frequent personal therapy to ensure I had an outlet. Having a safe place to land after a long rocky day was my saving grace. I wouldn’t be where I am without all of the support I had during those times.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Sunstone Psychotherapy is a private practice offering individual, couples, and family counseling. I specialize in working with teens, young adult women, and couples on a variety of presenting concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship health, conflict management, communication skills, boundary setting, racial/cultural identity exploration, trauma, and self esteem. I like to call myself the Quintessential Therapist For Millennials, but I also really love my Gen Z clients! The majority of my work centers around the intersection of the health of our relationships with others & the health of the relationship with our selves. I love incorporating “woo woo” things into sessions if clients express an interest, including crystals, tarot/oracle cards, and astrology. I also enjoy doing public speaking & presentations for those wanting to learn more about mental health. I am in the works of developing a Podcast, and I occasionally host conversations on Instagram & Facebook live about current events & mental health.
I think one of the things that set me apart from other therapists is my authenticity & emphasis on shared humanity. As a relational therapist, I believe the most important factor in therapy is the relationship between the client and therapist. I show up to my sessions authentically myself in hopes my clients feel safe enough to do the same. I’m a fun-loving & bubbly person, and my sessions are definitely reflective of that. We will laugh, cry, and enjoy each other’s company. I want to hear about all of the facets of who you are! What are your fears, dreams, and favorite Netflix shows? Tell me about your job, your family, your friends, and your pets (pet pictures are basically required!) One of the things I dislike most is stiff & overly structured conversations. That’s not real life! I’m the therapist that likes to take off my shoes, share my snacks, and get to know the person on the other side of the couch as a human first, client second. If we cultivate authenticity, trust, and safety within our sessions, we can bring out free-flowing energy needed for growth & healing.
I also believe one of the other things that set me apart is my inclusion of systemic & sociological theory into my work. I deeply value having an intersectional lens when exploring someone’s life & identity. There are so many systems that impact our self-perception & development. These systems are as small as our own personal family unit and grow to be as large as culture, race, religion, and socioeconomic class. Each of these larger systems intersects with our own identity, whether we realize it or not. I find such value in exploring macro-level influence on our own personal self-image & the implication that this may have on our mental health.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
One of the biggest lessons I learned personally, and saw reflected in my work with clients, was in regards to self-care and burnout. I think this lesson has been a common one, as evident by The Great Resignation of 2020-2021. So many people have realized their jobs had become their whole identity rather than just a part of their identity. Collectively, folks were already teetering on burnout pre-pandemic, but I think Covid-19 really pushed people over the brink. It gave us a new perspective of our own needs & the life we want to live.
I was one of those folks who participated in The Great Resignation. I had just started working for a local non-profit as a school-based counselor in November 2019 when the pandemic hit in March 2020. It was already a tough job, but COVID-19 flipped everything upside down and took everything to another level. I was working 50+ hours a week from my bedroom. I went from counseling kids on campus to doing everything but counseling. I was doing tech support for kids trying to navigate virtual school, passing out food & supply packs for families in need, even completing home visits in the midst of a pandemic to check on students who were at high risk of dropping out. Of course I loved my kids ,& I wanted to do everything I could to help in such a tough time. However, I was swiftly approaching burnout. I was perpetually exhausted, my anxiety was at a peak, and my physical health was suffering. I needed to set a boundary for myself & prioritize my own health.
In October of 2020, I was offered a position at Austin Family Counseling, a local group practice that allows clinicians to develop their own private practice. This helped me transition back to focusing on sharpening my clinical skills & created a safe environment for me to recover from burnout. I started to understand the diligence needed in protecting yourself from burnout. Self-care is not an option. As a therapist, we are in a unique position in that not only do we provide a service, but in some aspects we are the service. We are the vessel through which people are making investments in themselves. It is our duty & right as clinicians to ensure we are taking care of ourselves so we can give the most we can to those we are entrusted to help.
Pricing:
- Individual Counseling – $145/50 mins
- Couples Counseling – $165/50 mins
- Family Counseling – $165/50 mins
- Speaking/Workshops – Contact for Pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sunstonepsychotherapytx.com
- Instagram: @SunstonePsychotherapyTX
- Facebook: facebook.com/sunstonepsychotherapytx
Image Credits
Adrianne Michelle Photography
