About Me

If you are reading this page...

you may be wondering who the person is behind Soulward Bound.

Perhaps you are curious about what it would feel like to sit across from me and share the parts of your life that have been difficult to understand, carry, or talk about.

I know that beginning counselling can feel like a meaningful step. It can also feel uncertain. Choosing someone to walk with you is personal, and it matters that the relationship feels right.

So, let me introduce myself. I’m Sarah Monaghan.

I have always been a seeker—drawn to understanding the human experience, what shapes us, what influences the ways we move through the world, and what helps us reconnect with ourselves.

My own path has been one of continual learning, reflection, and growth. It has included professional training, personal exploration, and experiences that have each shaped the way I understand and support others.

My journey to becoming a counsellor was inspired by my own struggle to find a counsellor who welcomed my spirituality into the counselling room. I did not need spirituality to be the focus of every conversation. I did, however, need to know that if I wanted to talk about it, I could. I needed someone who understood that spirituality and intuition are part of who I am and could meet me there. That experience stayed with me and became one of the reasons I returned to school to become a counsellor.

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Master’s degree in Counselling. Before completing my Master’s degree, I had already spent many years supporting people through my 20+ year career as a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), as well as through more than a decade of offering intuitive readings.

My years as an RMT shaped the way I understand people and deepened my appreciation for the connection between the body, emotions, and life experiences. Through working with people in a hands-on, therapeutic setting, I came to understand that hardship, struggle, stress, and trauma are not only held in our thoughts and stories, but also in our bodies.

In my counselling practice, I combine my background in body-based awareness with evidence-based approaches, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS). I work from a perspective that honours the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—and recognizes that these parts of ourselves are interwoven.

I believe meaningful healing involves the whole person. Sometimes, understanding begins with the stories we tell ourselves. Sometimes, it begins with noticing what we feel. And sometimes, it begins by listening to what the body has been trying to tell us all along.

My path has also included studying other approaches to healing and personal growth, including becoming a Reiki Master and a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). I have facilitated workshops and groups focused on meditation, spiritual development, personal growth, and grief support, each of which deepened my understanding of the many ways people seek meaning, connection, and growth.

Through all of this, I have come to believe that each of us has an innate capacity for healing and growth. At times, life experiences, relationships, and the ways we have learned to move through the world can make it difficult to feel connected to that part of ourselves.

I am here to offer a place where you can slow down, listen inward, and come to understand your own journey more fully.

I'm originally from Toronto. Having lived in several communities across Canada, including Kingston, St. John’s, Kamsack, Nelson, and Victoria, I have returned to St. John's, the place that most feels like home, along with my husband and our very handsome ginger tabby, Sook.