We had the good fortune of connecting with sara Waters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi sara, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
My favorite quote, by writer/speaker Alex Elle, says “I am not afraid of my truth anymore, and I will not omit pieces of myself to make you more comfortable.” For the longest time, the concept of “my truth” was nowhere on my radar. I didn’t know what that meant. Through a ton of self discovery and therapeutic work, I came to understand that “my truth” is the entirety of my inner experience. My emotions, values, morals, interests, convictions, and the way I experience moment to moment life, through my unique lens. Once I learned that I have an inherent right to those things, as a human who matters, the second part of the quote fell right into place. It helped me to understand that I’m not doing myself, other people, or the world around me any favors by being a watered-down or inauthentic version of myself. Therefore, I won’t do it. This quote has helped me to embrace the power in living fully and authentically as myself, unapologetically, with courage, compassion, and confidence. It also provides a steady ground under my feet, which allows me to extend curiosity for the sake of personal growth, empathy, and perspective-taking. When rooted in this quote, I can move in any direction I want… personally, relationally, and professionally.

What should our readers know about your business?
Red Rocks Counseling is non-pathologizing, trauma-informed psychotherapy private practice. We provide therapy services for teens, adults, and couples. From the day we opened our doors, in 2013, I’ve been learning a constant lesson about the importance of sustained curiosity. Every person’s story and they way they’ve experienced it is unique. So it would be terribly assumptive for us, as therapists, to assume we have any kind of advise or solutions to someone’s pain. Rather, we believe that by providing a safe environment and relationship, extending massive amounts of empathy and unconditional positive regard, and by staying curious, the client will be empowered to create their own healing and to find their own solutions. It’s much more comfortable to rely on certainty (versus curiosity). But we’ve found, over the years, that the perception of certainty isn’t as reliable as most people would like to think it is. Empathy and curiosity, however, will always facilitate human connection. That’s the real medicine!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in Colorado are all out in nature. If I had a friend in town visiting, we’d ski in Vail, hike in the Sangre de Cristos, camp under the stars in the Sand Dunes, and stand-up paddle board on Lake Dillon.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to every one of my clients, who’ve shown me what it looks like to courageously embrace the power of vulnerability.

Website: https://redrockscounseling.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redrockscounseling/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarajeanthompson/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-rocks-counseling-castle-rock?osq=red+rocks+counseling

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sarajeanwaters

Image Credits
Jason Hayes

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