Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Neustadter.
Sarah, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and creative director.
When I was younger, I did a lot of searching for a career that felt meaningful and could make a difference in people’s lives. It took a lot of exploration, seeking, and travel until I met a teacher and mentor while I was living in Tel Aviv who showed me the kind of work that I wanted to do with clients: a version of spiritual and creative counseling and guidance.
From there, I pursued a degree in clinical and transpersonal psychology in Northern California and then moved to Los Angeles to be close to the beach and work with artist and creative clients.
I’ve always been a writer, having written an autobiography while an undergrad at NYU, then wrote a couple of screenplays, my dissertation, and academic articles, and eventually my first book.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road at all. During my twenties, it was very rocky as I was lost and confused and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. It was lot of trial and error and starting and stopping with various jobs and professions.
The biggest obstacle in my professional and personal development was that while I was in graduate school, my grad-school boyfriend took his life. It took me many years to fully heal and process his death and I moved to Los Angeles to start fresh during this time. Starting over in a new city was challenging but I continued to move forward with my goals building a psychology practice and writing my book.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Private Practice + House of Merrr Productions – what should we know?
I see clients in private practice working with millennials, artists and creatives, and suicide survivors.
I recently published a book called Love You Like the Sky: Surviving the Suicide of a Beloved which is part memoir and part self-help and a resource for anyone dealing with the suicide of a loved one. I am most proud of this book as it was a real labor of love, and hopefully can help other survivors like myself.
I also co-host a comedy/human interest podcast called A**holes of LA (which is actually about the amazing non-a-hole humans of Los Angeles), and I host and design events at my space in Venice.
Contact Info:
- Website: sarahneustadter.com
- Instagram: @sarahneustadterphd
Image Credit:
Chris Loomis for Blue shirt Photo; Laura Austin for the rest
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