Using her head and heart, Sarah Buino, LCSW, CADC, CDWF brings her own colorful touch to the therapy field.
As a child growing up in southern Ohio, Buino wanted to be a Broadway star. Singing was her first passion and she considered her school's theater department and show choir life. Over the years, she has moved away from musicals and onto rock 'n' roll, currently performing in a wedding band.
Buino, who identifies as bisexual, said she came to Chicago in 2002 for a boy, a Prince concert and a craving for a livelier city. That relationship did not last, but Buino ended up meeting and eventually marrying another man who coincidentally lived around the corner in 2005.
Looking back, Buino said she probably always wanted to be a therapist. It was when she was working as a business manager at Northwestern University's concert hall, her own therapist informed her on how she could pursue a career in therapy. She went on to earn a master's degree from Loyola University in Chicago and decided to specialize in shame and substance abuse because of her own family history.
"I feel like there's nothing like working with people who desperately want to be the best version themselves and people who struggle with addiction, who are in recovery, they are the most inspiring, loving, caring, exciting, authentic people I've ever met," said Buino.
Buino went on to become a therapist at Presence Behavioral Health's Addicted Professionals Program, an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University's School of Social Work, and a Certified Daring Way facilitator. She also applies her singing skills to therapy interventions at Positive Sobriety Institute, a drug and alcohol treatment center.
"We help them identify their emotions with music, talk about their recovery and use theme songs for it and it gets really great feedback," said Buino of the interventions. "Music really does reach people in a way that nothing else can."
Buino said she founded Head/Heart Therapy, Inc. at a time of need. Head/Heart Therapy is a group therapy practice that specializes in treating adults and adolescents struggling with shame, addiction and mood/anxiety disorders, among other difficulties. It is trauma informed and LGBTQ affirmative. The private practice, she explained, tries to incorporate physical, mental, spiritual, emotional health and each therapist has a unique talent or skill that they bring to therapy, including therapeutic yoga, tai chi and hypnotherapy, among others. Buino also does reiki ( energy healing ).
"I wanted to name it Head/Heart Therapy because I think the essence of becoming the best version of yourself is connecting what you think and what you feel," said Buino, president of Head/Heart Therapy.
A few years ago, Buino trained with Dr. Brené Brown's team and still practices what she learned, which is the concept of authenticity.
"I find that whatever it is that I can connect with people on, when I sit across from people, I want them to know 'yeah, me too,'" said Buino of being authentic with her clients.
Buino's most recent project in clinical social-work leadership will be her collaboration with Robert Hilliker, LCSW, LCDC of Houston, Texas. Together, they will be opening The Lovett Center in Chicago. The Lovett Center is a co-working space for therapists and private practice, as well as intensive outpatient ( IOP ) for group therapy.
Buino was also honored as the 2017 Emerging Leader awardee by the National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter ( NASW-IL ).
"There's still so much stigma attached to mental illness and especially addiction, and so I'd really love to be able to really help people understand what empathy and compassion really is because if we had more empathy and compassion, we wouldn't have stigma," said Buino about her hopes for the therapy field. "We wouldn't need to judge and fear, and stigma is the way it is because everyone who doesn't understand it is just afraid and they just don't know. A lot of people think an addict is a bum on the street asking for money, but my clients are doctors and nurses and teachers and really successful people who just ended up making a really bad choice at some point."
For more information about Sarah Buino and Head/Heart Therapy, visit headhearttherapy.com .
