Mcayla Sarno was born in Wurzberg, Germany while growing up in a military family she moved to the United States at the age of two. Traveling has always been a part of Mcayla’s life and experiencing life at a fast pace had become customary. Relationships were short term and dysfunction in families was experienced not only with those she met along her travels but also within her own family. Sarno’s view on relationships and family dysfunction would soon lead her down a path that would inspire her to want to understand and help others.
In 2000 Sarno settled in Southern California and entered into the University of Phoenix where she received a Bachelor of Science in Human Services. It was throughout Sarno’s travels that she viewed the dysfunction and incapability of many individuals to help themselves. Human Services launched Sarno’s career path. Eager to understand the family system Sarno began working full time for The Crittenton Services which housed at risk youth in a group home setting. As a full time counselor Sarno became a mentor desiring more knowledge into the facets of family dysfunction.
In 2002 Sarno began volunteering at the Domestic Violence Shelter in Long Beach, Ca. Sarno was certified as a Domestic Violence counselor but soon learned that in order to counsel on a deeper level she we need to take her academics to the next level. In 2004 she enrolled in a Master’s program at the California School for Professional Psychology for Marriage and Family Therapy.
While continuing her studies in her Master’s program Sarno desired to understand addiction and began working at the Phoenix House in Santa Ana, Ca. The Phoenix House, which treated drug and alcohol dependency, led Sarno to better understand addiction. As a marriage and Family Intern Sarno would spend several years educating herself on addictions and addiction personalities. It was at The Phoenix House that Sarno gained a true understanding for the addicts perspectives and the family’s hopelessness as well as enabling behaviors.
In 2006 Sarno received her Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy and immediately began a Psy.D. program to continue to gain knowledge in her field. While studying at C.S.P.P. Sarno began working for The Victorian a subset of Sober Living By the Sea located in Newport Beach, Ca. The Victorian specifically catered to eating disorders for women in an impatient facility environment. Sarno continued facilitating groups and counseling from an addiction perspective.
In 2008 Sarno began private practice in Cerritos, Ca to continue to explore dual diagnosis and diversity of clientele. While continuing her practice Sarno became an adjunct therapist for Hope By the Sea drug and alcohol treatment center in San Juan, Ca. Her position at Hope By the Sea allowed Sarno to facilitate family groups and examine the family cycle component in the addicts symptoms. Sarno began therapeutically treating the clients arriving at Hope By The Sea which were often times the result of an intervention offering Sarno a broader view of the cycle in which the family and IP were part in.
In 2010 Sarno completed her Doctoral Program in Marriage and Family Therapy and opened private practice in Mission Viejo, Ca. continuing to learn and contribute to the field of addiction and therapeutic intervention modalities.
It is Sarno’s passion and drive that continue to place her in her field creating change and inspiring hope.