Sparrow Counseling

Call Directions Website Contact the practice

Sparrow Counseling Helping couples and families heal, reconnect, and grow. Compassionate, clear, and experienced care.

Sparrow Counseling offers expert therapy in Birmingham, AL, and online across Alabama, specializing in marriage, co-parenting, families, and intensives. Sparrow Counseling is a place where individuals, couples and families can come to be strengthened, empowered and find hope again.

10/17/2026

Always learning. Always growing. Always looking for better ways to help couples. 💙

I recently had the opportunity to travel to San Francisco for a couples therapy conference hosted by The Couples Institute, and I came home with fresh ideas, renewed energy, and a deeper appreciation for the work we do with couples every day.

One of the things I value most about being a couples therapist is that the learning never stops. Relationships are complex, and helping couples move through conflict, rebuild trust, and create meaningful change requires us as therapists to keep challenging ourselves, refining our skills, and learning from one another.

It was especially meaningful to connect with Ellyn Bader, co-founder of The Couples Institute, whose Developmental Model of Couples Therapy has been an important part of my clinical training and approach.

Beyond the conference sessions, there were wonderful conversations with colleagues, new friendships, and even a little time to enjoy San Francisco!

At Sparrow Counseling, we’re committed to providing thoughtful, skilled, and continually evolving care for couples in Birmingham and beyond.

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at my trip!

— Sara Hadgraft, LMFT, LPC
Founder & Executive Director
Sparrow Counseling

💙 Learn more about our couples counseling and intensives at sparrowcounsel.com.

Today we're celebrating Sha Wortman, one of our incredible counselors at Sparrow Counseling!Sha brings so much wisdom, c...
10/12/2026

Today we're celebrating Sha Wortman, one of our incredible counselors at Sparrow Counseling!

Sha brings so much wisdom, compassion, and steadiness to our team and to the individuals and families she works with. She has a gift for helping people feel seen, understood, and supported, even in life's more challenging moments.

We're so grateful for who you are, Sha, and the heart you bring to Sparrow every day!

Please join us in wishing Sha a very happy birthday! 🎂💙

Sometimes people come into therapy worried about whether they’re going to do it “right.”What am I supposed to think abou...
10/05/2026

Sometimes people come into therapy worried about whether they’re going to do it “right.”

What am I supposed to think about?
What if I don’t know what to say?
What if my mind goes somewhere unexpected?
What if I get emotional or need to stop?

Here’s something we want you to know about EMDR:

You don’t have to be “good at it.”

There isn’t a perfect response your therapist is waiting for. During EMDR, different things may come up—thoughts, emotions, images, memories, beliefs, or sensations in your body. Your job isn’t to analyze all of it or figure out what it means.

Your job is to notice, communicate, and participate honestly in the process. Your therapist is there to guide you.

Finding a therapist you feel comfortable enough to be honest with—including when something feels too difficult or you need to slow down—is an important part of EMDR therapy.

We talk more about this in our newest blog, “7 Questions to Ask an EMDR Therapist Before You Begin.”

If you’re considering EMDR therapy in Birmingham, AL, we hope it gives you some helpful questions to ask as you decide whether EMDR—and a particular therapist—feels like the right fit for you. 💙

Read the full blog: https://www.sparrowcounsel.com/blog/7-questions-to-ask-an-emdr-therapist-before-you-begin

September gave us a lot to be grateful for. 💙This month at Sparrow Counseling was filled with meaningful connections, co...
09/30/2026

September gave us a lot to be grateful for. 💙

This month at Sparrow Counseling was filled with meaningful connections, continued learning, new opportunities, and the privilege of walking alongside individuals, couples, teens, and families through some of the hard and hopeful parts of life.

We’re especially grateful for the relationships that surround this work. Our clients who trust us with their stories. The colleagues and professionals who collaborate with us and send people our way. The people who attend our events, share our resources, and help us continue building a connected mental health community here in Birmingham.

None of what we do happens in isolation, and September was a beautiful reminder of that.

As we move into fall, we hope there is space for a little slowing down, meaningful connection with the people you love, and continued growth, even when that growth feels small.

Thank you for being part of the Sparrow Counseling community and for allowing us to do work that means so much to us.

Here’s to October. 🍂

09/28/2026

Why does professional connection matter?

At Better Together, we asked a few of our guests that question, and we loved hearing their answers.

For us, it comes down to something pretty simple. There is a big difference between having someone’s name on a referral list and actually knowing the person you are trusting to care for someone.

The individuals, couples, and families we serve often need support from more than one professional. When therapists, attorneys, mediators, financial professionals, physicians, and others in our community know one another and understand the work each of us does, we can better connect people with the support they need.

That is why we created Better Together.

We are so grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make our professional community in Birmingham a little more connected. 💙

Stronger professional relationships. Better support for families.

09/24/2026

Why does professional connection matter?

Because the families we serve don’t live in silos—and neither should the professionals who support them.

One of our favorite parts of Better Together was hearing from the people in the room about why building real relationships across professions matters. When we know one another, understand each other’s work, and have trusted people to call, we’re better equipped to connect families with the support they need.

That’s what Better Together is really about. 💙

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this community a little more connected.

Maybe you understand exactly why you feel the way you do, but understanding hasn’t changed how you react.Maybe you know ...
09/23/2026

Maybe you understand exactly why you feel the way you do, but understanding hasn’t changed how you react.

Maybe you know what happened is over, but your body doesn’t seem to know it yet.

Or maybe you’ve gained a lot of insight through talk therapy, but certain memories, beliefs, fears, or reactions still seem to have a hold on you.

These are some of the reasons people begin exploring EMDR therapy.

But how do you choose an EMDR therapist? And what should you ask before you begin?

Our newest blog shares 7 Questions to Ask an EMDR Therapist Before You Begin, including how EMDR works, what treatment may look like, the difference between EMDR trained and EMDR certified therapists, and how to determine whether EMDR may be a good fit for you.

We also talk about something that can get overlooked when choosing a therapist: how you feel sitting across from that person.

Credentials matter. Experience matters. And the therapeutic relationship matters too.

If you’ve found yourself thinking, “I know it’s over, but it doesn’t feel over,” this blog may be a helpful place to start.

Read the full blog and learn more about EMDR therapy in Birmingham, AL: https://www.sparrowcounsel.com/blog/7-questions-to-ask-an-emdr-therapist-before-you-begin

🎉 Happy Birthday, Heather! 💙Today we’re celebrating someone who is truly at the heart of Sparrow Counseling.For the past...
09/21/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday, Heather! 💙
Today we’re celebrating someone who is truly at the heart of Sparrow Counseling.
For the past five years, Heather has been the steady presence behind so much of what happens here. As our Practice Manager, she takes care of countless details that keep Sparrow running, but what we appreciate most is the heart she brings to all of it.
She cares deeply for our clients, supports our clinicians, solves problems before the rest of us even know they exist, and helps make Sparrow feel like Sparrow. Simply put, she is the backbone of so much of our success.
Heather, we are incredibly grateful for the heart and soul you pour into this practice and the people we serve. Sparrow Counseling is better because you are part of it.
Please help us wish Heather a very Happy Birthday! 🎂💙

09/18/2026

A little behind the scenes before the doors opened for Better Together last night. 💙

We love creating opportunities for professionals who serve families in Birmingham to come together, build genuine relationships, and get to know the people behind the names on our referral lists.

Because when we know one another, trust one another, and understand the work each of us does, we can better support the children, couples, and families who come through our doors.

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night. We loved having you in our space and seeing so many new connections being made.

And this was just the setup… stay tuned for a look at what happened once everyone arrived. ✨

For some people, one of the biggest barriers to beginning trauma therapy is the thought of having to sit across from som...
09/16/2026

For some people, one of the biggest barriers to beginning trauma therapy is the thought of having to sit across from someone and describe every detail of what happened.

That isn’t necessarily how EMDR works.

Your EMDR therapist needs enough information to understand what you are working on and guide the process, but you do not have to repeatedly tell the entire story of a painful or traumatic experience.

During EMDR processing, your therapist may simply ask, “What are you noticing?”

You might notice an emotion, a thought, an image, another memory, or even a physical sensation. You don’t have to have the perfect words for it or explain why it is happening.

For someone who has avoided therapy because talking about every detail feels overwhelming, knowing this can make EMDR feel a little more approachable.

Our latest blog, “What to Expect From EMDR Therapy: 5 Things to Know Before You Begin,” explains this and four other things we want people to know before beginning EMDR.

If you’re considering EMDR therapy in Birmingham, AL, we hope it helps answer some of your questions and makes the process feel a little less unknown. 💙

Read the full blog on the Sparrow Counseling website: https://www.sparrowcounsel.com/blog/what-to-expect-from-emdr-therapy

Address

1736 Oxmoor Road, Ste 208
Homewood, AL
35209

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+1 205-538-3978

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sparrow Counseling posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Sparrow Counseling:

Shortcuts

Share

Category