A Warm Welcome to
MENLA PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING
I'm Sara Jungen, a Registered Psychologist with over 20 years of experience, serving clients throughout Alberta and British Columbia through secure video and phone sessions.
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At the core of my work is a fundamental belief: you possess an innate goodness—a part of you that remains whole, resilient, and capable of healing. I approach therapy not as fixing what's broken, but as uncovering the wisdom and strength already within you.
My Therapeutic Approach
My therapeutic approach reflects my unique journey—blending rigorous training in Western psychological methods with Eastern mindfulness practices. This integration allows me to address both immediate symptoms and deeper patterns.
I draw primarily from:
Contemplative Psychotherapy
Hakomi Body-Centered Therapy
EMDR for trauma healing
Over the years, I've continued weaving mindfulness into both my personal life and clinical practice. Beyond individual counselling, I've taught Meditation for Mental Health courses in healthcare institutions, corporate environments, and private settings. To deepen my practice, I committed to an intensive six-year meditation program that included annual advanced training in India.
My Journey To Mindfulness-Integrated Psychology
For over two decades, I've had the privilege of supporting thousands of individuals on their healing journeys. My path as a therapist took a transformative turn in my early twenties during travels to India, where I discovered the profound power of meditation. These Eastern approaches profoundly shaped my own development, deepening my capacity for self-reflection and compassion — qualities I now bring into my work with clients.
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This experience led me to pursue a Master's degree in Contemplative Psychotherapy at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado — a graduate program integrating Western psychology with Eastern mindfulness traditions. My education went beyond academics to include weekly meditation, month-long retreats, and deep self-reflection, teaching me that to truly support others, we must first understand ourselves.
Diverse Clinical Experience
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with a remarkably diverse range of people — from new mothers to war veterans — and with concerns spanning spiritual emergence to recovery from serious car accidents. This breadth has shaped in me a calm, steady ability to stay present with the many forms human struggle — and strength — can take.​
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I want you to know: All of you is welcome here. Whatever you're carrying, you don’t have to face it alone.
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My years of helping people process wounds and develop self-compassion have been deeply rewarding. I've witnessed firsthand that while we all struggle, we possess tremendous resilience and the capacity to heal and thrive in our own unique ways.
Beyond The Therapy Room
When I'm not working, I cherish my role as mother to two wonderful children. Growing up Swiss-Canadian and multilingual, enhanced my ability to honor diverse ways of experiencing the world. Much of my childhood was spent in the outdoors—countless nights sleeping under the stars, backpacking and summiting peaks in the Rockies, and later, trekking in the Himalayas with my family. Today, you'll find me foraging through the coastal rainforests or paddling the ocean waters around my island home. Nature continues to be where I feel most grounded, inspired, and alive.
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I am committed to ongoing learning in support of Truth and Reconciliation. As someone living and working on traditional Indigenous territories, I am dedicated to continuing education in culturally responsive care and to offering barrier-free access to counselling for First Nations and Inuit clients through the NIHB (Non-Insured Health Benefits) program. I continue deepening my understanding of how to meaningfully contribute to healing the impacts of colonization through Indigenous cultural competency training and ongoing First Nations-specific education each year.
Professional Credentials
Registered Psychologist (R.Psych)
Alberta #3449
British Columbia #2390