About Sarah

Sarah Friedlander MA, PhD
(ABD) & YTT-200

“Let’s shine the light of consciousness on places where we can hope to find what we are seeking.”
― Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

 

About                                 

Warm, earnest, authentic, responsible.

I feel most alive when sharing my passions and inspirations with others. I truly feel it is my contribution I am meant to be doing in this life.

Once upon a time, in my more youthful college years, I was a wilderness backpacker, spending months at a time off-grid, and with only what was on my back to sustain me. 

While completely thrilling, in more recent years the adventure has been traversing the inner landscape of my being. Learning about and navigating the diverse landscapes that make up my defense mechanisms, needs, feelings, blocks, parts/selves, longings, coping mechanisms, mournings, celebrations, walls, and more. This type of internal exploration has been such an exciting and heartfelt endeavor. And unlike my youthful outdoor expeditions, this internal wilderness has no trailhead to mark the end of the journey. It is by far the most challenging, exhilarating, and beautiful path I've ever been on and I'm excited for what's coming up next, what's around the next bend of life.

I've personally experienced a very freeing sensation in the exploration of my Self. A sense of unbecoming, of shedding layers of insecurities and fears that formerly served as walls and barriers that created distance between me and my authentic self, and between me and the people around me, even the people I loved and cared about very much.

I love the transformative process of becoming what was underneath those layers - to more authenticity, ease, and flow - in life, in my being, and in my relationships with others.

I believe that the process is not easy to do alone. Nay, not just in terms of difficulty. But that healing and growth may even require a safe and authentic relational container. We are meant to emotionally thrive while in connection with one another.

I feel very fortunate to have had many wise and supportive mentors and teachers that helped guide me along the way. I truly believe we gain so much by having compassionate support, empathy, and guidance when on a growing, healing path.

And now it's an honor to be in the role of being someone's compassionate, supportive partner and guide on their own journey. To be the nurturing, safe relational container that someone needed for their own healing and growth. I feel so very fortunate to do something I feel passionately about, that I find so much joy in, and as a means of providing for my family.  I am grateful to contribute to and be part of life energy this way.

 

Background                     

Originally from Buffalo, NY, I now live in the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel with my family (including 3 kids) and cat.

I teach daily yoga classes in my private yoga studio in Efrat, Gush Etzion, and I provide one-on-one emotional health and trauma therapy for my private therapy practice, lead group therapy workshops, and teach mindfulness groups. I also love to travel to teach workshops on topics such as yoga, mindfulness, compassion & self-love, emotional health and communication skills.

 

Academics & Professional Background   

I have an extensive background working with populations that experienced sexual and/or physical abuse and other traumas.

During my MA and PhD graduate studies at Rutgers University, I received my start with compassion- and empowerment-based therapeutic interventions when I worked with domestic violence (IPV) and sexual assault survivors at Rutgers campus and for Middlesex County, NJ. It was heart-rendering work.

I worked for the Center Against Violence for Women & Children, performing evaluative community research to shape and inform Middlesex county's domestic violence community outreach in order to improve access to resources for people experiencing violence in the home.

During my PhD studies, I researched stress and the bio-psycho-social effects in decision-making in healthcare settings.

I am a published academic author on my research of the psychology and efficacy of bystander behavior in sexual assault prevention programs for the Center for Violence Against Women and Children - NJ.

 

Therapeutic Modalities           

I live and work strongly nourished by therapeutic modalities such as Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg (life-changing and by far my favorite modality), and the teachings of Jerusalem therapist/teacher Danny Cohen, compassion-based therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry, and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

I have advanced training in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and am currently working towards a year-long Certificate of Compassion via NYCNVC, and becoming certified in Focusing Therapy.
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Other frameworks that nourish my work: Inner Child Work, Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), trauma-sensitive yoga, and Polyvagal Theory.

 

A Few of My Favorite Things 

In my free time, I can be found going to yoga classes, nature bathing and hiking, meditating, reading, or watching Netflix cuddled up with my cat.

I love learning and growing more in my knowledge. So at any given time I am likely in the midst of a new course, podcast, book, lecture, or other.

I love authentic connection, and learning and seeing and connecting what is alive in others. I'm very nourished by my friendships and cherish time spent with loved ones.