Sarah M. Bauer MA, CRC, CVE

Sarah is a rehabilitation professional with a decade of experience assisting individuals with mental and physical disabilities. She is passionate about assisting individuals with disabilities to meet their goals for competitive employment, optimum recovery, and personalized well-being.

Sarah is the Director and Owner of Pathfinder Career Services. She holds a Master’s in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, graduate certificate in Clinical Aging Sciences, is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and a Certified Vocational Evaluator. Sarah also maintains membership in the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals and is an associate member of the American Board of Vocational Experts.

After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Asbury University in Kentucky in 2013, she returned to her hometown of Indianapolis, IN. She began working as an activities assistant in an Assisted Living Community, designing and leading enriching activities for independent living, assisted living, and memory care residents. Her work in this position solidified her interests in the world of rehabilitation and mental health. In the following year, Sarah had the opportunity to join a research team at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, IN. The research efforts of this team focused on recovery-oriented care for veterans with severe mental illness. Sarah’s work with this team spanned eight years and contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications.

In July 2017, Sarah relocated to Tampa, FL to pursue her Master’s degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling at University of South Florida. While pursuing her Master’s Sarah also completed a graduate certificate in Clinical Aging Sciences, was accepted as a grant recipient by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA Scholar), and passed examination as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. Finally, Sarah completed a year-long internship at the James A. Haley VA, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, in the ONE Vocational Rehabilitation team. During this internship, she provided vocational rehabilitation services in the VA Domiciliary, Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program (CPRP), and Pain Empowerment Anywhere (PEAK) program. Sarah graduated with her Master’s degree in December 2021.

In February 2022, Sarah began working as a contractor for other vocational evaluation providers conducting evaluations for Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and for forensic purposes. In May 2023, Sarah began offering services directly as her own private practice.

Sarah manages disability in her own life. She hopes that by sharing this she can help set clients at ease and help dismantle negative stereotypes associated with physical and mental disabilities. She strongly believes that her lived experience of rehabilitation has contributed to her abilities as a fair, comprehensive, and creative professional.

Sarah lives in the Tampa Bay area with her long-term partner Carson and their dog Anna. She enjoys gardening, scenic walks, trying new recipes, good music, and good books.