- Guilt and shame
- CBT and mindfulness
- Motivational interviewing
About Donna
Donna Sarvela is an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 13 years of clinical experience based in Utah. She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, and people coping with life changes. Donna also addresses related concerns such as guilt and shame, codependency, and family of origin issues.
Her approach centers on a strengths-based, client-centered stance. She encourages people to name what feels hardest and to notice small, practical steps that feel manageable. Sessions focus on clear goals and on helping clients make changes they choose, rather than imposing a plan from the therapist.
Donna uses methods drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to help people notice unhelpful thinking and build different responses. Motivational interviewing supports people working through ambivalence around addiction and behavior change. Psychodynamic ideas can be used to look at patterns that repeat across relationships and time.
In practice she aims to create an atmosphere where thoughts and feelings can be spoken about without judgment, and where people can try out new ways of responding. Conversations often mix skill building, reflection, and practical planning. Donna describes taking the first step toward change as an act of courage, and she focuses on supporting people through that early work.
Her work includes treatment for issues such as smoking or vaping cessation, impulsivity, social anxiety, and self-harm thoughts, alongside mood disorders and co-morbidity. People interested in starting are invited to follow the service's online intake steps to book a first session.
Therapeutic approaches and online sessions
Donna often uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening closely and helping people set the goals that matter to them. This approach helps when someone needs space to sort feelings like guilt or shame and decide what they want to change.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches practical skills to shift them. CBT can be useful for anxiety, mood problems, and habits linked to addiction. Mindfulness therapy is used alongside CBT to develop attention and reduce reactivity to difficult thoughts and feelings.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the client to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and may combine approaches as the work progresses.
Session formats are not listed in the biography here, so please confirm the current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and planning to work through guilt, shame, addiction, and life changes in remote sessions.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Listed in
Utah, California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, and coping with life changes. Additional focus areas include guilt and shame, codependency, and family of origin issues.
How does she approach guilt and shame in sessions?
Donna blends client-centered listening with practical tools from CBT and mindfulness to help people notice self-critical thoughts and try different responses. She uses motivational interviewing when ambivalence about change is present.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 13 years of professional clinical experience working across the listed concerns and focus areas.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in Utah and California and practices from Utah for this profile.
Does she work in other languages or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm current session options before booking through the platform's scheduling tools.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Exact pricing is available during sign-up.
What do I do to get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the platform.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.