About
Meet the Team
At Sage Counseling Services, Inc., our team is committed to providing compassionate, culturally informed, and clinically grounded care. We bring together diverse therapeutic backgrounds, embodied practices, and depth‑oriented approaches to support clients in their healing, growth, and relational well-being. Below, you can learn more about our clinicians and the unique perspectives they bring to the practice.
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Dr. Ana Carla Laidley
PsyD., LMFT - Lic# MFC44112
I believe in the power of human beings as a whole. As a professional psychotherapist, I have dedicated my career to assist my clients in rescuing their essence and in the process of individuation. This is no simple task, however, in my opinion, psychotherapy is a tremendous and powerful tool for both self-improvement and personal growth. My experiences as a Black-Brazilian immigrant
helped me to become aware of and advocate for culturally proficient treatment. Through the use of various counseling techniques, my mission is to encourage and assist others in being curious about themselves, utilizing inner, external, and creative resources to find their way of healing. Even the simplest of issues can be multi-factorial (i.e. involving fear, trauma, emotional conflict, and failed interpersonal relationships), I will always encourage my clients to be responsible for having the life that they want and deserve.
I feel so privileged to have received the guidance and supervision of Dr. Salvador Minuchin (Structural Family Therapy) whilst working and acquiring hours for my licensure. Through that experience, I learned just how powerful the family system is. I also witnessed the effectiveness of addressing underlying core issues, which often hide behind the veil of individual emotional conflict.
Exercising cultural sensitivity within this field of work is also a constant priority, and something I value as a Brazilian woman who moved to the United States 29 years ago. The psychological impact of immigration can be overwhelming, however, I understand it personally. Because of this fact, I have committed myself to promote a mental health practice that is sensitive and aware of cultural diversity and the limitation and even ineffectiveness of several therapeutic models.
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Welcome, MFT Associate Nasr Ismail, to Sage Counseling Services, Inc.
Sage Counseling Services, Inc. is honored to welcome MFT Associate Nasr Ismail to our clinical team. Nasr brings a rare blend of clinical training, cultural depth, and decades of experience in movement‑based disciplines, enriching the therapeutic experience for our clients.
About Nasr
Nasr’s background spans martial arts, movement, music, and dance, where he has spent decades teaching, training, and developing embodied practices. Alongside his extensive movement expertise, Nasr holds a degree in Counseling Psychology and has clinical experience in:
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Group work
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Gestalt
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Imaginal psychology
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Somatic approaches
His therapeutic style integrates traditional talk therapy with adjunctive embodied modalities, including his signature method, The Warrior Class, which draws from martial and cultural arts to support emotional regulation, empowerment, and mind‑body connection. He is fully fluent in Japanese, semi-fluent in Brazilian Portuguese, and conversational in French and Arabic.
Areas of Focus
Nasr is passionate about supporting clients through relational challenges, addiction, and identity‑based work. His specialized areas include:
Men’s Mental Health
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Male survivorship of childhood abuse
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Suicidality
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Anger and emotional regulation
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Accountability, transparency, and repair
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Positive masculinity
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Ethical Non‑Monogamy
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Coaching for individuals and polycules
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Best practices for communication and agreements
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Internal emotional work for successful non‑monogamous relationships
Now Accepting New Clients
Nasr Ismail is currently available for new clients, offering both individual and group work. His integrative approach supports clients seeking depth, embodiment, and meaningful personal transformation.
We are delighted to have Nasr as part of Sage Counseling Services, Inc., and we look forward to the impact of his work within our community.
When a tree has been transplanted, though fierce winds may blow, it will not topple if it has a firm stake to hold it up. But even a tree that has grown up in place may fall over if its roots are weak. Even a feeble person will not stumble if those supporting him are strong, but a person of considerable strength, when alone, may fall down on an uneven path.
"Three Tripitaka Masters Pray for Rain" (WND, 598)