NorthShore Employee Spotlight: Sarah Cheek

A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and behavioral therapist, Sarah Cheek views her career as a channel for bringing hope to others. She is very passionate about her work; it is an extension of herself.

In her position, Cheek works through drug and substance abuse problems, helping the patient uncover any symptoms that have not been resolved.

“I work with the patient to identify the core issue and journey with them to heal that trauma and, in doing so, also tackle the drug or substance abuse issues,” Cheek said.

At NorthShore Health Centers, Cheek works with adults of all ages.

“At one point in my career, I worked with children in a school setting,” she said. “I found that my time and work was basically putting a bandaid on their situations, because so much of it was rooted in their home life. I would give them strategies to cope, but was never able to address the actual issue with them because I could not change their home environment.”

As a result of this realization, Cheek decided to transition to working with adults. Her role requires a lot of intentional listening.

“I figured if I could help adults to improve their life and cope with their trauma, I would be able to focus on the root of so much of the issue with children’s trauma,” said Cheek. “By improving the lives of adults through trauma healing, I would be proactively preventing, or at least reducing, adult behavior that could create trauma for children. When an adult has worked through their trauma, they are better able to create a stable household and environment for their children, which allows for children to thrive and limits their exposure to trauma.”

According to this mindset, a cycle of stable environments is more likely to occur as positive practices are passed down from generation to generation.

In addition to her work as an individual therapist at NorthShore, Cheek also facilitates substance use recovery groups for incarcerated women at the Porter County Jail. Her classes focus not only on addiction, but on understanding trauma, relationships, and life experiences that often contribute to substance use. Her goal is to help women recognize that they are more than their addiction, or the worst thing that they’ve done, and that healing is possible.

“My goal isn’t to just teach prescriptively about addiction and mental health, but to help people understand the story behind it. When someone begins to understand why they’ve struggled, instead of just believing that they are innately broken, hope begins to emerge,” she said. “Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can offer another person, and one of my favorite roles as a clinical social worker, is to be an empathetic witness to their pain and resilience. Compassionately hold that space no matter what it produces. Whether in the office or at the jail, I want everyone I share space with to know their past does not define their future and that hope exists.”

Cheek has three boys ages 13, 12, and 5. In her free time, she likes to read, write, and spend time outdoors. She also enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures.

“My boys are all active and very close,” she said. “Our house is always full of a lot of energy.”

Cheek earned her undergraduate degree at Indiana University (IU) Northwest. She also received her graduate degree in social work with a concentration in mental health and addictions from IU Northwest.

To schedule an appointment with Cheek at NorthShore Health Center, you can reach out to their Portage team. More information can be found at its Portage website.

To learn more about behavioral science at NorthShore Health Centers, visit northshorehealth.org.