Sally mcvey, LSCSW, LCAC, ERYt, SEP

Hi, I'm Sally McVey. A therapist, yoga teacher, and lifelong learner who came to this work the long way around.

I didn't start college until I was 29. By then I was a single mother of four, and I'd already logged years behind a bar, waiting tables, in factory lines, in nursing homes as a CNA, and scrubbing floors and toilets on commercial cleaning crews. Those jobs taught me things no classroom could — about exhaustion, dignity, resilience, and what it actually means to show up for people when life is hard. They're part of why I do this work the way I do.

When I finally made it to the University of Nebraska at Kearney, I studied everything that fascinated me: History, Psychology, Women and Gender Studies. I graduated with a comprehensive Social Science degree and went on to earn my Master's of Social Work from the University of Kansas. I've been rooted in Lawrence since 2013 with my husband and some of our young-adult kids.

Today I run a small private practice where I integrate Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and Yoga into trauma-informed, body-centered care. In the addiction space, my work is focused specifically on people who are in active recovery or the maintenance stage — those who have done the hard work of getting sober and are now navigating what it means to build and sustain a life in recovery. I'm committed to being an affirming, inclusive provider for all sexual orientations and gender expressions, and I continually work to examine my own biases and support systemic change around antiracism and equity.

When I'm not in session, you might find me walking trails, in my flower garden, at my favorite restaurant, on my bike, wandering through a museum, or deep in a fantasy novel I definitely should have put down hours ago. I watch The Lord of the Rings every year without apology, along with Harry Potter, When Harry Met Sally, and Pride and Prejudice on permanent rotation. I enjoy camping, kayaking on clean water, traveling, and a good jigsaw puzzle during the winter.

I believe therapy works best when the person across from me feels like they're sitting with someone real. My path wasn't traditional, and neither is my approach.

Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker (LSCSW)

Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor (LCAC)

Training and Specialty areas of practice include:
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner-https://traumahealing.org/se-101/
Internal Family Systems ® Online Circle Member & Level 1 trained
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy through the EMDR Institute
Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Perinatal Mental Health training through Postpartum Support International
Cognitive Behavioral Interventions through the Kansas Department of Corrections
Tobacco Treatment Specialist through University of Massachusetts Medical School