Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Claire Colling.
Hi Sarah Claire , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Bungalow Counseling began as something much smaller and much more personal.
I started in private practice on my own under SC Counseling & Coaching. It was just me, one therapist, stepping into the unknown of building something from the ground up. I was beginning to find my voice and cultivate a therapeutic space that helped people feel seen, cared for, and able to enjoy “doing the work.”
At that point, I didn’t have a fully formed vision of what it would become, but I knew I wanted to create a space where people could experience real healing, not just symptom management, but meaningful, transformative work.
As I began working with clients, I noticed how powerful it was when people felt safe enough to be fully seen. That’s when the dream started to expand. I didn’t just want a practice. I wanted a community of therapists who could offer that same depth of care, and I feel a strong pull toward communal healing. I love group work and the way people heal not just in isolation, but in connection with others who are walking through similar things. I also knew I didn’t want therapists to feel alone in this work. There is something really powerful about practitioners collaborating, supporting one another, and growing together.
Around that time, Adam (my husband, who is also a therapist) and I began dreaming together about what we could build together. We both share a deep passion for relationships, for inner healing, and for helping people come back home to themselves. We have seen our own relationship with each other and ourselves transformed through the path we offer others. So we joined forces and built what is now Bungalow Counseling.
The name “Bungalow” was really intentional. We wanted something that felt warm, grounded, and human, not clinical or sterile. A bungalow is a home. It is cozy, it is real, it is lived in. That is what we wanted therapy to feel like, a place where people can exhale, be authentic, and begin to come home to themselves.
Because ultimately, that is the work we do. Helping people create an internal sense of home, and then build relationships that feel like home too.
Since then, Bungalow has grown into a group practice serving South Florida in person and clients all across Florida virtually. We have built a team of brilliant therapists with a range of rates so that healing can be more accessible.
We have also expanded into You-Turn Coaching, where Adam and I work with individuals and couples across the country via telehealth, bringing both a clinical and relational perspective as married therapists. We help people understand their patterns, heal relational wounds, and create more conscious, connected lives.
We are here to create spaces where people can process their stories, heal trauma, build emotional intelligence, and experience relationships, both with themselves and others, that feel safe, grounded, and truly alive.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road. In many ways, it has been beautiful and stretching at the same time.
One of the biggest parts of our story is that we started building Bungalow in the same year that we had our daughter. So I was a very pregnant therapist, holding space for clients while also preparing to become a mom. Then I moved straight into postpartum while continuing to grow the practice.
That season asked a lot of me. Navigating the physical recovery, the emotional transition into motherhood, and the identity shift of becoming a working mom, all while building a business, was both sacred and challenging. There were moments of deep joy and moments where I had to really slow down and redefine what capacity looked like.
At the same time, it clarified so much. It deepened my empathy for the clients I work with, especially women and parents navigating big life transitions. It also forced me to build something that was sustainable and supportive, not just for clients, but for myself and our team.
I love my work so much, and I also love being a mom. Learning how to hold both has been one of the most meaningful parts of this journey.
And I truly could not have done it alone. Having a supportive partner in Adam, both in life and in business, and a team that believes in the vision, allowed me to grow a human and a business at the same time. That is something I feel incredibly grateful for.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bungalow Counseling ?
Bungalow Counseling is a group therapy practice rooted in the belief that healing happens best in spaces that feel safe, connected, and real.
We serve individuals and couples across South Florida in person and throughout the state virtually, and we also offer You-Turn Coaching for individuals and couples nationwide via telehealth. Our work is grounded in trauma-informed care, attachment theory, grounded spirituality, neuroscience, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR. We specialize in helping people understand their patterns, regulate their nervous systems, process and heal trauma, and create healthier, more connected relationships.
We also care deeply about healing spiritual wounds and helping people reconnect to a grounded, authentic spirituality. For many clients, that means untangling shame or fear-based beliefs and rediscovering a sense of connection, safety, and meaning that actually supports their healing.
A big part of what sets us apart is how we approach both individual and relational healing. We don’t just focus on symptom relief. We help clients get to the root of what is driving their experiences, whether that is unresolved trauma, attachment wounds, or protective patterns that once made sense but are no longer serving them.
We are also known for our relationship work. As married therapists, Adam and I bring both a clinical and lived perspective into the work we do with couples. Through our You-Turn framework, we help people shift from blaming or fixing their partner to understanding themselves, taking responsibility for their inner world, and creating more conscious, connected dynamics.
Another defining part of Bungalow is our emphasis on community. We deeply value group work and communal healing, and we believe therapists should not be working in isolation. We have intentionally built a collaborative team environment where clinicians support one another, grow together, and bring their unique strengths into the practice.
Accessibility is also important to us. We have a range of practitioners and rates so that more people can access quality care, while still maintaining a high level of depth and intentionality in the work.
Brand-wise, what I am most proud of is that Bungalow feels like what we hoped it would feel like. It is warm, grounded, and human. Clients often share that it feels different from traditional therapy spaces. It feels like a place where they can exhale, be themselves, and do meaningful work.
At the end of the day, what we want people to know is this. We are not just here to help you cope. We are here to help you understand yourself, heal what is underneath, and create a life and relationships that feel like home.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I would say the most important quality has been a genuine commitment to growth, both personally and professionally.
As a therapist and a business owner, I can only take people as far as I am willing to go myself. So I’ve always prioritized doing my own inner work, staying curious about my patterns, and continuing to learn and evolve. That mindset has shaped not only how I show up with clients, but how I lead a team and build a business.
I also think a big part of our success has been staying rooted in authenticity. We have been intentional about creating something that actually reflects who we are and what we believe in, rather than trying to fit into a more traditional or clinical mold. People can feel that, and it builds trust. Our entire team is committed to this as well.
And alongside that, I would say resilience. Building a practice, especially while navigating major life transitions like becoming a parent, requires flexibility, humility, and the ability to keep showing up even when things are stretching you.
At the end of the day, it’s really a combination of self-awareness, authenticity, and a willingness to keep growing. That is what has allowed both me and Bungalow to evolve into what we are today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bungalowcounseling.com/
- Instagram: @bungalow_counseling
