Meet Dr. Sara Weelborg & Rachel Johnson, Co-owners of Mindset.

Dr. Sara Weelborg, DNP, ARNP, has been a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner since 2005. Before that, she worked as a registered nurse in a variety of patient care settings while serving as an active-duty Navy Nurse Corps Officer. After serving 13 years on active duty, she transferred to the Reserve Component while beginning her work as a civilian advanced practice nurse, practicing in group settings and then transitioning to private practice in 2014. She built a thriving solo private practice in the Tacoma area and then added contract work with the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Behavioral Health Outpatient Program and the Northwest Indian Treatment Center in Elma. She completed the University of Washington AIMS’ Center’s Integrated Care Fellowship in 2023 and provides psychiatric consultation to the primary care team at Community Health Care’s Key Medical Center in Lakebay. In addition to providing direct patient care, she precepts graduate nursing students and is an active member of Washington State’s Association of Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses. 

Sara’s Doctor of Nursing practice degree is in leadership, and her cumulative experiences in the military, clinical settings, and education have positioned her well to be the clinical director of the new mental health intensive outpatient program Mindset. Creating this program with her daughter Rachel has been challenging, rewarding, and invigorating. She has had a vision of building an intensive program for many years and is grateful for the support and circumstances that have led to this point. This endeavor would not be possible without Rachel’s complementary knowledge and skills, and her shared passion and drive have catalyzed the effort and work.

Sara’s personal interests include running (especially trail running and trail relays), playing the flute, and hanging out with family. Besides Rachel, daughter Elisabeth is a senior at the University of Minnesota studying chemical engineering, son Nathaniel is a 7th grader with a passion for computers and violin (who designed and coded Mindset’s website by himself), and husband Brian provides steadfast support and dedication to keep everything going. 

Rachel Johnson provides all community members of the greater Tacoma area with options to individually flourish and feel supported in their mental health. She encountered a severe lack of in-person care opportunities in Tacoma while seeking out her own mental health support services in the past, and has been a witness to this same lack of access for so many friends and community members. Rachel serves Mindset’s clients, and the greater community, by establishing and overseeing community relationships, client acquisition, and overall business maintenance and operations. She values an individual’s identity and autonomy above all else and works to empower others in every facet possible, while realizing herself, that she must have an evolving mindset that can lead me to further compassion and growth. Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) for mental health provide a vital and unique service to the community; hospitalizations are not the most beneficial outcome for many individuals who are facing a mental health crisis. A gap existed in our community for providing intensive mental health services to those individuals who are best suited to remain in their regular home environment and maintain a daily profession. 

Rachel is dedicated to champion clients who would incur a detriment to their overall health journey if separated from their daily life and home. She believes that every individual has the power to overcome life’s challenges if they have been provided the correct “toolbox” to do so. Her professional and educational background is in construction management from California Polytechnic State University, where she is completing her senior project.

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