sandra kahn, ma, lcpc , lcmhc, ccps

Sandra is a therapist of Sanctuary Counseling Group | 2129 E 7th St. Charlotte, NC 28204 | (704) 375-5354 | info@scgnc.org

MY APPROACH

This site is designed to give you an introduction to my work as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Illinois), Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (North Carolina), Certified Clinical Partner Specialist (also previously a CSAT). It is offered to you in hopes you can feel a bit more comfortable about your first step, or your next step, toward greater wholeness.

It is my privilege to tell you about my counseling approach, as you consider whether counseling might be a helpful resource at this time of your life. I seek to provide a warm, calm and compassionate presence out of a foundation that is centered in faith, resourced by education and experience.

I work with men and women whose lives have been interrupted by a wide variety of issues. I guide these individuals in foundations of self-esteem, such as boundaries, self-care and communication. My therapeutic approach considers the whole person - body, mind and soul – and therapeutic concerns include stressful life interruptions, anxiety and depression, relational and spiritual concerns and longer term difficulties. Individuals whose lives are interrupted by anger, perfectionism, loss, life stage or career changes, health concerns, intrusive thoughts or behaviors, trust injuries, disordered eating as well as other personal and relationship concerns can begin steps toward better days.

Couples too can face difficult days due to unexpected situations, stressful misunderstandings, or years of anger and disconnection. Counseling could be the next step in a healing journey or perhaps the first step.

My training equips me to support individuals from a variety of faith backgrounds. I welcome the opportunity to encourage spiritual resources of my clients.

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Explore the information and links below to learn more:

You can find more details about me and about my focus on patient care. I have also included information on this site to help individuals seeking treatment for addictions and compulsions, as well as those partners who may be impacted by addictions. I've included some additional information on my Contact page to assist you with some of the details (hours, fees, etc.) of a counseling visit. I look forward to meeting with you.

A link to my blog will take you to diverse commentary about relationship challenges, treatment resources, and other various writings. You can also find me on Facebook. Thank you for visiting.

Individuals effected by the consequences of behaviors, initiated by partner, family, culture, or self...

I seek and receive specialized training on an ongoing basis that aids me in helping individuals who have been injured by both recent life events or relationship issues, as well as recent traumas and those from long ago. Trauma may be experienced in a variety of forms including emotional, physical, or a combination of both. Traumas of abuse, or of neglect, at times leak into the present.

For those impacted by pornography and their families

As a Certified Clinical Partner Specialist, I maintain ongoing specialized training from The Association of Partner of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS). Also, CSAT training guides me in care of individuals' whose trauma of a family member’s addiction or compulsion find a path to living, as well as guiding those who themselves struggle with sexual and co-existing addictions. Recent awareness of a partner's pornography use can bring individuals to a place of confusion, at times silenced by limited space to determine what to do next. Likewise individuals (both men and women) whose longterm struggle to end use of pornography may find themselves suddenly feeling overwhelmed by their inability to change, often times when a partner has learned of their behaviors. You can learn more in TREATMENT and HELP FOR PARTNERS.

CERTIFICATIONS & MEMBERSHIPS

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Illinois (License #180008622) and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina (License # 15669). I received my master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College and have been seeing individuals and couples since 2008. I practice online, and work for Sanctuary Counseling Group. I am certified as a Clinical Partner Specialists by APSATS.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Psychological Association
Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists
Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association
Illinois Counseling Association

Certifications

Certified Clinical Partner Specialist

“Fairy Tales are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us the dragons can be beaten.”

— G.K. Chesterton

Find out more about Sandra Kahn, MA, LCPC, LCMHC, CCPS, and her approach to working with individuals and couples.

CONTACT SANDRA

Learn More →

PATIENT CARE

TREATMENT

HELP FOR PARTNERS

BLOG

Accompaniment

“To accompany someone is to go somewhere with him or her, to break bread together, to be present on a journey with a beginning and an end. At a commencement like this, we’re not sure exactly where the beginning might be, and we’re almost never sure about the end. There’s an element of mystery, of openness, in accompaniment: I’ll go with you and support you on your journey wherever it leads. I’ll keep you company and share your fate for a while. And by “a while,” I don’t mean a little while. Accompaniment is much more often about sticking with a task until it’s deemed completed by the person or people being accompanied, rather than by the accompagnateur. ”

— Paul Farmer, MD, PhD

Hope

I consider it a privilege to work with individuals who courageously look for hope in an uncertain world that so often confuses, isolates, devalues, and injures. Whether these are experiences of the past or present, I seek to embark with clients on their heroic journeys toward new skills for changed behaviors or relationships, finding rest so old wounds might become scars of life to empower a stronger sense of self in the present, or finding a more peaceful acceptance in the midst of and in spite of ongoing suffering.

Those who seek counseling do so for a variety of reasons. It is not uncommon for me to meet with individuals who want to put the past behind them, yet find the past leaking into the present in their behaviors and emotions. Some want to be more able to live the life they hope for, but feel like its become out of reach. Others seeking counsel face recent interruptions to life and relationships. Still others struggle with anxiety, depression, grief, anger, addictions, or another emotion or reaction that interrupts their day to day activities.

“We all need help from others when it comes to hope. For some, it is to help us sustain hope and to re-establish peace for our hearts. For others, it may be to discover hope in order to establish a peace not yet known. This site is dedicated to visitors who desire to nurture hope, and find help for their journeys. If you are considering welcoming a professional counselor into your journey, I would be honored to to talk with you further. ”

— Sandra Kahn, MA, LCPC , LCMHC, CCPS

Some practical considerations

I take an integrative approach to utilizing a variety of therapeutic modalities. That is to say, I endeavor to integrate the best modalities into therapy which are available for the needs of my clients. These modalities include, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Mindfulness-based Therapy, EMDR, Emotion Freedom Techniques, and Immanuel Prayer.

I primarily offer online telehealth sessions for individuals in IL and NC.

I am able to receive cash, credit cards and a variety of insurance plans for payment of service. Please call if you wish to learn more about scheduling an appointment or fees. Additionally, I offer one complementary initial introduction consultation discussion. When you call please mention this complementary consultation.

“For today, I yield my suffering to the crucified Christ, and receive His life as He would have it in me. I seek a spirituality of grace, compassion and truth, for myself and toward others…living one day at a time. This has made room for the Anchor of my Hope.”

— Sandra Kahn, MA, LCPC, LCMHC, CCPS

Find out more about Sandra Kahn, MA, LCPC, LCMHC, CCPS, and her approach to working with individuals and couples.

CONTACT SANDRA OR

Learn More →

SANDRA'S APPROACH

TREATMENT

HELP FOR PARTNERS

BLOG

“Addictions begin with pain and end with pain.”

— Eckhart Tolle

Treating individuals with addictions

When sexual acting out causes an individual to engage in risky behaviors on an escalating scale despite the consequences, some seek help. I am trained in understanding the specific nature of sexually or relationally compulsive behaviors faced by men and women, including internet pornography. I utilize research developed by Dr. Patrick Carnes and other prominent addiction researchers in the field and employs Carnes' task-centered approach to recovery. .

Since addictive and compulsive behaviors often come in twos or threes, I have also been trained via the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals. This additional training is important for my support of patients' recovery as they engage the complexity of sex addiction treatment work and the variety of ways addictions can interact. Learn how to make changes necessary for healthy sexual healing as you come to understand the addictive cycle, denial, unmanageability, and relapse prevention.

Could you be addicted? Take a free sex addiction screening test.

Dr. Gabor Maté talks about the root causes of addiction and how to deal with them. This is taken from the Q&A part of TJ Dawe's show - "Medicine".

Resources

A sample of resources available to individuals seeking change:

Websites
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Sex Addicts Anonymous
Additional Resources from IITAP

Books
Don't Call It Love: Recovery from Sexual Addicition by Patrick Carnes, Ph.D.
Healing the Shame that Binds You by John Bradshaw
In the Shadows of the Net: Breaking Free of Online Compulsive Sexual Behavior by Patrick Carnes, Ph.D., David Delmonico, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Griffin, M.A.
Ready to Heal: Breaking Free of Addictive Relationships by Kelly McDaniel, M.A.

Other Resources Here

Find out more about Sandra Kahn, MA, LCPC, LCMHC, CSAT, CCPS and her approach to working with individuals and couples.

CONTACT SANDRA

Help for Partners

I work with partners who are devastated by the discovery of betrayal, infidelity in media or by a partner’s choices outside of the marriage.

When faced with learning of a partner's destructive behaviors, partners and families often find themselves with pain, confusion, and anger. A variety of these tendencies can be found in individuals who experience traumatic events. Such experiences can leave individuals wondering who to turn to for help. Other individuals find the topic of addiction complicated, as they find the discussion of issues about sexuality and infidelity foreign and uncomfortable.

Partners can find a confidential, safe, and calming place to begin caring for self. I am a Certified Clinical Partner Specialist. I received training from the Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists (APSATS), known as the Multidimensional Partner Trauma Model Training. Also, my training as a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist includes partner treatment training. Other treatment modalities also may be part of my journey with individuals toward greater wholeness. Learn to develop healthy boundaries within your relationship and begin your own healing process.