Saritha Rothermel
Helping people heal, create, and thrive.
Trauma therapist, filmmaker coach, filmmaker
Therapy
Pennsylvania licensed professional counselor
EMDR trained from the Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute
I provide therapy to individuals, and clinical supervision to therapists working on their license as well as best practice consultation to organizations.
Filmmaker Coaching
Filmmaker coaching through Nourish - a wellness community for filmmakers.
My coaching focus is on helping filmmakers balance creative ambition with nurturing their family life.
Film
Co-Founder of CHAIYO, an editorial studio focused on telling stories that spark empathy.
Almost American- Co-Director, premiered at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
I Think I’m Sick- Mental Health Consultant
Therapist
Saritha Rothermel is a Thai-American licensed professional counselor, filmmaker coach, and filmmaker whose work lives at the intersection of healing, storytelling, and human connection. With over a decade of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families through trauma, identity shifts, and major life transitions, Saritha brings deep empathy and psychological insight to every aspect of her work.
As a therapist, Saritha specializes in working with individuals struggling with post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, suicidality, self-esteem issues, and adjustment difficulties. She has completed training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidenced based treatment of choice for PTSD, with the Trauma Institute and Child Trauma Institute (TICTI). Additionally, she has extended training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), as well as training in Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS), and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS).
Saritha believes that therapy is most transformative when you can build a secure and authentic relationship with your therapist as a foundation for change. In therapy, her approach is collaborative and empathetic, with the goal to help clients find healing and build a life worth living according to their values.
Filmmaker
Alongside her clinical work, Saritha is passionate about supporting filmmakers and creatives in building emotionally sustainable lives as a coach. Through her proximity to the film industry, she has seen how creative ambition can often come at the expense of wellbeing, relationships, and family life. Her coaching is rooted in the belief in finding a third way — one where creative ambition and a loving personal life can thrive with intention and integrity.
As a filmmaker, Saritha’s storytelling is deeply informed by her clinical experience and interest in the resilience of the human spirit. Her work explores themes of identity, trauma, healing, and connection through a compassionate and emotionally grounded lens.
Saritha’s work is ultimately about holding space to help people find healing, growth, and creativity.
"Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)"
— Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
I’ve spent most of my life exploring the synthesis between my passion for mental health and my love for creativity. As a therapist, filmmaker, coach, and mom, I’ve always resonated with the idea that we are multi-layered and complex as humans. We contain multitudes.
Across all areas of my work, I’m interested in the same core questions:
How do we heal?
How do we nurture our connection to ourselves and others?
How do we create a meaningful life that brings us joy?
My deep desire is to create a safe space for people heal from their pain, and reclaim the power of who they’re uniquely meant to be in the world. We don’t have to shrink ourselves to fit any singular category — whether inherited, imposed, or otherwise. I hope working with me will help you find clarity and the courage to build a life you can thrive in.
I consider it a privilege to walk alongside you.
