Sabra Starnes, LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, RPT-S™

Sabra Starnes is a clinical social worker, RPT-S™, transracial adoptee, and adoptive mother with over 24 years of experience as an adoption therapist. Adopted as an infant alongside her twin sister in a closed domestic adoption, Sabra grew up in the Midwest, where her family experienced both the joys and challenges of transracial adoption, including facing racism and discrimination. She is the owner of Next Place Therapy Services, LLC, a group practice that specializes in play therapy and Sandtray therapy. As the founder of Next Place Therapy Foundation, a non-profit established in 2020, Sabra is dedicated to providing post-adoption support to adoptees and adoptive families. She holds a bachelor's in social work from Bennett College, a master’s in social work from Catholic University, and a master’s in education from American University. Sabra specializes in adoption, foster care, and parenting issues, using attachment-based therapy integrated with expressive therapies. A passionate advocate for permanency for children in care, she provides adoption counseling, consultation, and training nationally to amplify the adoptee experience. Sabra is also trained in Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Sandtray Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, and TBRI.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sabra Starnes is the founder of Child and Family Therapist Next Place Therapy and Next Place Therapy Foundation. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sabra Starnes is a member of the Association for Play Therapy, the Association for Training on Trauma and Attachment in Children, and the national Council on Adoptable Children.