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Sarah Amelia Edmiston
About
Hi there! My name is Sarah Edmiston and I’m a psychologist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What drives me as a provider is a genuine curiosity about what makes people who they are, how their experiences shape them, and what helps them feel understood and supported. I believe assessment can be an opportunity to make sense of things that may have felt confusing or difficult for a long time, rather than simply identifying what is wrong.
My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in the belief that people are much more than a collection of scores or diagnostic criteria. I want to understand your experiences in the context of your life, your strengths, and the things that matter most to you.
I hope this process feels like a space where you can show up as yourself, ask questions, and feel genuinely heard. My goal is for you to leave with a clearer understanding of yourself and information that feels meaningful and useful in your life.
I feel strongly about the importance of understanding people beyond the expectations and assumptions that are often placed on them. I’m interested in the ways we each experience, process, and move through the world differently, and how those differences can sometimes go misunderstood, overlooked, or even pathologized.
I think many people spend a significant part of their lives feeling like something about them doesn’t quite make sense, or that they’re somehow falling short of expectations they don’t fully understand. For some, discovering their neurodivergence can offer an entirely new framework for understanding their experiences, their relationships, their challenges, and their strengths. I find that incredibly meaningful.
What motivates me is the opportunity to help people develop a more compassionate understanding of themselves. I don’t see assessment as simply determining whether someone meets criteria for a diagnosis. I see it as an opportunity to listen, connect the dots, validate experiences, and help someone access language and understanding that they may not have had before. I want people to feel that their differences are understood rather than judged, and that they don’t have to approach themselves from a place of needing to be fixed.
My approach to assessment is rooted in compassion, affirmation, and a commitment to recognizing the whole person. I place a strong emphasis on identifying and building upon each individual’s strengths, interests, abilities, and unique ways of experiencing the world, rather than focusing exclusively on challenges or areas of difficulty.
I don’t believe that understanding someone means simply identifying where they struggle or how they might differ from expectations. I want to understand what comes naturally to them, what energizes them, how they learn and connect with others, and what environments allow them to thrive. I also recognize that many of the challenges neurodivergent individuals experience can be shaped, in part, by environments and expectations that weren’t designed with their needs in mind.
I bring a collaborative, affirming, and individualized approach to assessment. My goal isn’t to fit someone into a diagnostic box, but to offer a framework for understanding themselves more fully. I hope to help clients recognize their existing strengths, better understand their needs, identify meaningful supports and accommodations, and build a life that feels more authentic and sustainable. Ultimately, I want assessment to be an empowering experience that helps people move toward their potential without feeling that they need to change who they are to get there.
