Dr Sarah Liu
Licensed Psychologist
My areas of practice
I offer treatment to adults managing a wide range of mental health concerns including:
difficulties with mood
generalized anxiety
panic
social anxiety
perfectionism
stress management
managing intense emotions
low self-esteem
histories of trauma
difficult life transitions
psychosis and individuals living with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
obsessive-compulsive and related (OCD) disorders.
I also have an interest in working with new parents – including perinatal mental health conditions such as, the “baby blues,” anxiety, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and postpartum psychosis.
My approach to therapy
My style is warm, non-judgemental and collaborative. I aim to provide a space that meets you where you’re at while offering evidence-based treatments including, Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Cognitive-Processing Therapy (CPT). My goal is to help individuals foster emotional resilience and cultivate self-compassion to improve overall wellbeing. As such, I will also offer compassion and mindfulness-based strategies as appropriate.
I mainly provide therapy in English. However, I can also offer therapy in conversational Mandarin.
My background
I grew up in BC, however I completed my education mostly away from home. I received my BSc in psychology from the University of Washington and completed my MA and PhD in clinical psychology from Concordia University in Montreal, QC. I received a diverse clinical training experience – including inpatient and outpatient settings, providing both individual and group therapy. I completed my residency at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto at the CBT for Psychosis (CBTp; offering individual and group therapy for those with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders) and the Integrated Day Treatment Service programs (offering intensive DBT programs to patients transitioning from inpatient units).
Following my degree, I practiced in Toronto as a Licensed Psychologist for a number of years before returning to Vancouver. In addition to my practice, I work as a consultant to the Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) Advanced Practice Program in BC, as well as being the staff psychologist on the EPI-North team at the Royal Columbian Hospital. I am also a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at UBC.
I am a Licensed Psychologist with the College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia.