Hi, I’m Dr. Sarah Griest
Founder of Verity Psychology ClinicBringing clinical expertise
to support growing minds
Sarah Griest, PsyD, is proud to offer expert care to children, teens, parents, and families in the Bay Area and throughout California experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges through both online and in-person clinical assessment and therapy services.
Dr. Sarah is a PAU-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium trained psychologist and DBT-Linnehan Board Certified Clinician. She helps clients and families see progress and make lasting change through evidence-based practices such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), parent management training (PMT), and mindfulness. She has extensive training and experience working with children and teens experiencing mood and behavioral challenges. Dr. Sarah specializes in ADHD and neurodivergence, as well as in working with teens experiencing anxiety and depression with suicidal ideation and self harm behaviors.
Dr. Sarah brings enthusiasm, curiosity, and compassion to her work. Individual therapy clients can expect a nonjudgmental, collaborative space where they are believed, understood, and supported in their strengths while building new skills to achieve their goals for their mental health, relationships, and more. Parents are an integrated part of the process, as Dr. Sarah Griest uses science-backed methods to help you understand your child’s diagnosis and learn actionable skills to address challenges, strengthen relationships at home, and see lasting change for your family.
I am passionate about helping young people feel understood and empowered to build a life they are proud of and excited to be living.
Through evidence-based, whole-child therapeutic approaches, I hope to make a lasting impact in clients’ lives by helping them feel better, achieve their goals, and build confidence in skills for their future.
Who do I see for treatment?
At Verity Clinic, Dr. Sarah provides individual therapy, parent coaching, and group therapy treatments for anxiety, depression, anger, neurodivergence and twice-exceptionalism (2e), LGBTQ+ folks, trauma, and other emotional and behavioral challenges. Dr. Griest has particular expertise working with athletes, supporting ADHD, and is board certified in DBT for emotion dysregulation and related behaviors, including suicidal ideation and self-harm.
Where to Begin?
We start with a free 15-minute phone call to confirm we are the right fit for your needs. Then, we will schedule a first appointment for more in-depth discussion of how we can help you and your family.
Hybrid Practice
We welcome clients to our offices in Burlingame and Menlo Park for in-person appointments, as well as offer the flexibility of meeting virtually.
Education, Training, and Experience
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Licensed in CA #PSY33926
APA Member since 2014
DBT-Linehan Board of Certification
Certified Clinician -
PsyD, Clinical Psychology, PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium, Palo Alto University
Dissertation: Assessment of Impulsivity Across Varied Presentations of ADHD in Youth.
MS, Clinical Psychology, PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium, Palo Alto University
BS, Psychology, San Josè State University
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Clinical Psychology, Children’s Health Council, Palo Alto, CA
Predoctoral Intern, The Help Group, Los Angeles, CA
Practicum Student, Family Support Services, Ronald McDonald House, Palo Alto, CA
Practicum Student, School-Based Therapy Services, Star Vista, San Carlos, CA
Practicum Student, Psychosocial Treatment Clinic, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
Practicum Student, The Gronowski Center, Los Altos, CA
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Research Psychotherapist, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stanford School of Medicine
Psychologist, Mood Disorders and Anxiety Clinic, Child Mind Institute, San Mateo, CA
Lead Clinician, RISE Comprehensive DBT IOP, Palo Alto, CA
Staff Psychologist, Children’s Health Council, Palo Alto, CA
Research Assistant, Collaborative Life Skills Remote Project (CLS-R), University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Psychiatry
Research Assistant, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Science Research (CIBSR), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine
Allied Behavioral Specialist, Intensive Outpatient Program, Bay Area Children’s Association
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Building Resilience, Parent and community presentation at Phillips Brooks Elementary, Children’s Health Council, 2025.
Supporting Adolescent Mental Health. Parent and community presentation at Hillbrook School, Children’s Health Council, 2025.
NSSI and Risk Assessment in Schools, Staff training at San Jose Unified School District, Children’s Health Council, 2024.
DBT: Acceptance and Change, Voices of Compassion Podcast, May 17th, 2023, Children’s Health Council
Diversity and Cultural Humility Refresher Training. Professional training provided to volunteer staff at Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, Palo Alto, California, 2019.
Working with families of children who have a critical or terminal illness: Advanced practicum students’ perspectives. Panel presented at Palo Alto University, Mountain View, California, Hernández, M., Griest, S.&Cuellar-Celallos, I. (2019).
Can an intensive outpatient program decrease the number of hospitalizations an emergency room visits for adolescents with severe mental health symptoms? Poster presented at the AACAP Convention in San Diego, CA, Goldstein, V., Griest, S., Polisso, M., & Fabie, R. (2014).
Contact Us
Interested in working together? Please fill out the contact information below and we will be in touch shortly. We try to respond to all messages in 1-2 business days.
We look forward to hearing from you!