Connect
To Top

Meet Sarah Richards of Ypsilanti (lives) Brighton (works)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Richards.

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I graduated with a BA in Social Policy from Michigan State University in May of 2001. I moved to Colorado with a friend with hopes of working for a non-profit seeking to “make the world a better place.” 9/11 happened shortly thereafter. The world was upside down, the job market and prospects bleak. I ended up moving back to Michigan to be present for the birth of my first nephew and to wait for my then boyfriend (now partner) to graduate. After short stints working in retail and education, floundering in a lot of ways, my partner and I got a chance to move “up north” with friends to help them renovate and open a small-town bar and restaurant. We fully immersed ourselves in the community-we joined the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Development Authority, the Rotary Club.

This is where my love for community engagement and organizing began. With the encouragement of my sister, who was enrolled in the MSW program at the University of Michigan, I returned to school. My partner also returned to school to become a teacher. We were married shortly after returning to school in 2004.

My internships were working first for a US Senator in constituent services and then as a school social work intern for both special education and the school based health center. I used to joke that I was a macro body with a micro mind. In social work you often have to choose one lane so to speak and I have always been drawn to both supporting the individual while also working to address the systemic issues that hold us back as a community from living full and healthy lives.

I have been a social worker for 19 years working for non-profits and mostly in healthcare. I have experience in case management, program and project management, research and evaluation, mental health evaluation and treatment, change management and leadership development. I have had the opportunity to work with 1000s of individuals, offer employee well-being opportunities and continuing education, present at national and international trainings and conferences and publish peer-reviewed articles and even co-author a chapter on combat stress.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The practice opened at the height of the COVID 19 pandemic and in the context of increased demand for mental health services. It was also a practice I started while still working full time in another position. I had met with a friend in private practice before opening who encouraged me to keep in mind that I could determine what a “full” caseload was, and I have managed to keep the practice going on a very micro scale for four years. In the last month, I decided to resign from a long-held position and focus completely on the practice and the ways in which I can be engaged in community, supporting collective healing.

Now more than ever, people need an objective source who can hold space for healing and recovery, they need someone who will listen constructively and help them relocate their own intrinsic wisdom. When I was first trained in evaluation and treatment for mental health disorders, it was drilled into my mind that the therapist was the expert. With years of experience and training in complementary and integrative health approaches I have come to understand that all of us hold an inner wisdom inside of us, that we are the experts in our own bodies and that the role of the therapist is help facilitate that reunion back to ourselves, back to our own inner wisdom.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Ananda Wellness LLC started in February of 2021 housed in co-working space, Brighton Light House which is owned and operated by my sister and brother in law, Anna and Daniel Oginsky (brightonlighthouse.com). Ananda is a Sanskrit word for divine joy or bliss. We come to our divine joy by focusing on ourselves as whole and complete, curious, and without judgment.

I hold a BA in Social Policy from Michigan State University and a MSW from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. In 2016 I completed yoga teacher training and in 2017 I completed the first of two levels of Integrative Restoration or iRest, Yoga Nidra teacher training. With 19 years of practice, I have found my passion for working with individuals living with trauma and anxiety disorders often with co-occurring depression. My focus is inspired by my work with communities, agencies, and individuals to address systemic issues of racism, social inequity, institutional betrayal, and community disconnection.

Through the process of self exploration and non-judgmental self-discovery, we can work together to recover from the consequences of trauma or life experiences. We can work to uncover areas that may be holding you back, empower you and support your progress forward to find your joy. We can also practice new coping strategies to deal with symptoms and stressors. Integrated health approaches of yoga, meditation, clinical hypnosis and reflexology can complement psychotherapy practices allowing healing and recovery for mind, body and spirit.


We serve: individuals 13 and older. Our specialty: anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and life transitions.

Most proud: To have kept this practice going through personal and professional struggles, that I was able to found it and keep it going.

What sets me/us apart: See previous response. We are here to support the individual, to empower, to educate, to instill hope that mental health recovery is possible.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
In the non-profit realm, I was part of the community continuum of care for homeless and housing services. We met at least monthly and this is where I found my first mentor, an executive director of an organization that provided housing services to families. We have met personally and professionally for many years, I consider her one of my dearest friends and wisest mentors.

Advice I would give to younger practitioners is to be open and curious and when you meet someone willing to teach you and support you don’t let go. In mindfulness, you learn to have a “beginner’s mind,” I think that has served me well–to shed assumptions, to let go of judgment, to truly meet someone human to human even if I know we might be in opposition philosophically. It’s important to have mutual respect, to maintain a sense of psychological safety and to be authentic. The older I get, the more it serves me to not be motivated by fear but by love. To assert myself, know my strengths and values and not compromise even if it means there may be conflict. Conflict is inevitable, but when we can widen the lens, look more objectively at a concern, and come to consensus together about how to move forward we both can walk away with appreciation for the encounter/opportunity.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: VoyageMichigan is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Local Stories