Healing isn’t about perfection.
Sarah (Krehel) Keene
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) , MA
Penticton | Virtual
Hi I am Sarah (Krehel) Keene, a Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in supporting teens and young adults.
Adolescence is a time filled with many changes (emotional, hormonal, physical, social) which can be difficult to figure out on your own. Many of my clients are in a place of trying to navigate the whirlwind of these changes, whether it be related to understanding relationships with self or others, why certain emotions can catch us off guard or preparing for upcoming life transitions.
For teens and young adults, building pressure from self, others or society can contribute to challenges with anxiety, body image, and overwhelming emotions. Having the space to talk freely, develop greater understanding, and develop tools to support oneself can be life-altering. My hope is to support my clients with any concerns that are preventing them from living their lives in a way that feels most meaningful to them, while helping them see and use their strengths to navigate challenges.
For caregivers - It can be difficult to see your teen or adolescent struggling through such an imperative time in their lives. I work with caregivers looking to further hone their skills to support their loved ones during times of challenge and day to day life.
Much of my experience has been focused around supporting those living with disordered eating, whether it been young adults, youth or their caregivers.
What its like to work with me
Therapy can help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself, your patterns and your areas of struggle. I believe that foremost the “working relationship” (aka the relationship between therapist and client) is essential to supporting clients with the areas in which they are looking for support. This means that I love to get to know my clients deeply (what you love do! What bothers you? Who are the important people in your life) and will meet you with where you are at on your journey (meaning no pressure to dive into the ‘big stuff’ right away) as I understand the counselling process can feel overwhelming at first.
What we can work together on:
Body Image
Disordered Eating
Self Esteem
Life Transitions
Anxiety
Stress
Adolescent relationships
“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are”
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I am dedicated to creating a compassionate, warm, and inclusive space where you can express yourself authentically and feel truly understood. My passion lies in helping individuals live meaningful, fulfilling lives and supporting them through healing and growth.
I take a flexible, holistic approach to therapy, tailoring each session to your unique needs and goals. At the heart of my work is the therapeutic relationship, building a strong foundation of trust, safety, and collaboration.
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I draw from a range of therapeutic modalities, while also incorporating mindfulness and creative interventions to help you explore your thoughts, emotions and inner experiences in new ways. As every client is unique, I work with you to tailor our approach that best fits your needs during sessions.
DBT - An approach focused on incorporating various skills to support with managing intense emotions, reducing self-harming behaviours, and improving relationships with others.
ACT - With ACT, the focus is on accepting our negative thoughts and feelings, while making choices that are aligned with what truly matters to you.
CBT - Focusing on the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviours, CBT can support replacing negative thinking patterns and behaviours with healthier options.
EFFT - A modality that emphaizes empowering caregivers to take an active role in supporting their loved ones mental health, with focus on emotion processing, validation of feelings and repairing relationships.
FBT-AN - A leading approach to supporting youth with eating disorders, FBT focuses on empowering families to support their loved one through recovery through a manualized, 3 phase approach.
*Please note that FBT-AN requires collaborative support from a multidisciplinary team. A medical provider must be involved in your youth’s care.
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Master of Counselling Psychology
General:
DBT Skills for Adolescents and Families (2020)
Trauma Focused CBT (2020)
Emotion Focused Family Therapy (2020)
ACT from Inside Out (2019)Eating Disorder Specific:
Family Based Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (2022)
Integrating EFFT and FBT (2022)
CBT-E (2021)
A little more about me…
Outside of the therapy room, you can find me spending time with my family and friends, spending time at my favourite cafe, being out in my garden with my cat or walking my sweet little doggie. My husband and I both grew up in the Okanagan, and after many years on the coast moved back to embrace a slower lifestyle in a tight community. We are so grateful to have made this decision and love the life we have cultivated here for ourselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
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One of the amazing aspects of therapy is that this space is just for you! What we talk about is ‘confidential’ meaning that I will not share anything we discuss outside of our sessions with others- and this includes your parents.
However, there are some limits to this confidentiality - which all come down to the sole focus of safety. If you are at risk of harming yourself, harming another person, or if you (or another young person) are being harmed by an adult, then we will have to share this information with a trusted adult. If this were to ever come up, we would have a conversation first about what this would look like.
Outside of that - I understand that privacy is super important and being able to trust you can share your experiences in a safe space is essential to our work together. I will not tell your parents details of our sessions (unless it involves the limitations above) unless you give me permission to do so. -
Similar to counseling for other life concerns, when focusing on disordered eating, part of our work is supporting you to understand the link between your behaviors and inner experiences. Through counseling, you can learn new ways of coping while addressing underlying issues that may have contributed to the development of disordered eating. As disordered eating rarely occurs ‘on its own’, we can also explore and develop tools to support additional concerns you may experience such as anxiety, low self esteem, or low mood.
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When the focus is on supporting a youth, counselling looks different depending on where they are at in their recovery journey.
For those who are ‘early’ in their recovery journey, caregiver involvement is required, and at the beginning of treatment, most work is done with caregivers. This is to support caregivers taking an active role in their loved ones recovery, to support them to restore their health before sessions turn to more focus on the youth and their concerns.
If you are further along in recovery, or working to address concerns before they progress - focus will continue to support both you and your loved one with identifying their inner experiences that are contributing to their disordered eating while developing new ways of coping. This is where EFFT can be especially helpful for caregivers.
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Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) puts emphasis on supporting the relationship between caregiver and youth with the understanding that the attachment bond is a powerful tool to help elicit change. This happens with us focusing on learning skills to support your loved one through validations of feelings, emotion regulation and understanding how your own experiences may impact areas of caregiving.
Through EFFT, you can develop a stronger relationship with your youth, while becoming an active participant in your child’s healing process. EFFT is viewed as an ‘advanced caregiving tool’ meaning that not utilzing these skills previously didn’t impact where you are at today, but that they can help move you forward to a stronger, calmer and supportive relationship with your loved one.
Rates
Individual - $160
Availability
Mondays - AM/PM
Tuesdays - AM (Lyra only)
Wednesdays -PM
Thursdays - AM
Please note all sessions occur at our Penticton office location
Youth, Adolescent, Caregivers