Hi, I'm Sara Taylor, PhD.
I help people who feel dissatisfied with how life is going despite having done a lot of personal work (esp. around anxiety and depression). I help them to access more of their potential, meaning, and momentum.
As a former behavioral neuroscientist and psychology professor, I specialized in understanding how stress impacts mental health.
Over time, I realized that a life worth living doesn’t come from just managing symptoms—it’s through addressing the hidden patterns and deeper existential dilemmas that shape how we experience and make meaning out of life.
Now, I combine my background in neuroscience with systemic family constellations, existential psychology, and somatic and Norse shamanic techniques to help clients move through the deeper influences that hold them back.
Frequently Asked questions
How do I get started?
If you haven’t completed a Shadowlands Consultation, that’s the first step! If in that session we determine this program is a good fit for you now, you will be invited to sign up.
Based on your written reflection and our 1:1 time I will also be able to make specific recommendations and projections about what is going on, what you might be able to expect and what else you’ll need to do to get what you want.
If you’ve already done your assessment and consultation, you can email me at sara@sarabtaylor.com to initiate signing up for the Through the Shadowlands program or to ask any remaining informational questions.
DO I have to start with the consultation session?
I like to do good and efficient work and I’m sure you do too. The best way to know if it is worth investing in this work is to take a little bird’s eye view of things to make sure you have the foundations in place to be successful. This is why we start with the Shadowlands Consultation.
Based on your written reflection and our 1:1 time I will also be able to make specific recommendations and projections about what is going on, what you might be able to expect and what else you’ll need to do to get what you want.
What if I've already done ancestral work with you?
If you’ve already completed work with me that involved an extensive ancestral history (previously called “unbound”) you do not need to a consultation.
You can initiate continuation work through single sessions or a customized 3 month retainer. Just email me at sara@sarabtaylor.com and we’ll set it up!
Will this clear all my generational trauma?
Even if you engage with Ancestral Throughlines to initiate generational work, I believe that it is neither your responsibility nor a possibility to clear all your lineage’s trauma. It’s one of those things that “takes a village” over many generations, you know? Instead, we focus on what you want and tackle what’s in your way, because it is the most effective, potent, and rewarding way to go. What we do in this 6 months is set you up to have experience working with the relevant boulders on your path, so that when you come upon a similar stone later on you know what to do, or can get targeted help if you get stuck.
who is this a good fit for?
My work, in general, is a good fit for folks who’ve already done some personal development, healing or therapeutic work. This works is good when you’ve got your bearings, aren’t in crisis and are on your second or third pass through the issues you thought would be taken care of by therapy.
I know, we all think that once we’ve looked at something it won’t have an effect on us anymore. The reality is that whatever themes have always been an issue will be your themes you work with for the rest of your life. The good news is they can go from complete, impassable boulders in the middle of the river of life to becoming pebbles, mere sensitivities that actually can become a source of strength and wisdom in your life and work.