About Sharon

Sharon (Shonnie) Brown is a licensed marriage and family therapist with three decades of experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, low self-esteem, career crossroads, ADHD concerns, grief, and life transitions. Her style is direct and compassionate, with clear tools to make change feel manageable.

Shonnie draws on a mix of approaches to match each person's needs. She uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early bonds affect current relationships.

Background and approach

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are used to spot unhelpful thoughts and build new coping skills. Client-centered work places the person's goals and feelings at the center of therapy. Sessions often focus on practical steps.

That can mean setting small goals, learning coping skills, practicing mindfulness, or using writing exercises to process feelings. She also brings experience with divorce, co-parenting, workplace stress, and recovery from betrayal. Clients can expect straightforward feedback and a warm, respectful space to talk.

Shonnie emphasizes building self-compassion and learning to tolerate difficult feelings without becoming overwhelmed. She also helps people explore life purpose, financial stress, and social isolation when those issues connect to emotional pain. She trained at the University of California, Berkeley and earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from John F.

Kennedy University. Shonnie holds a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist credential and works with adults in California. Writing and creativity are often part of her practice for emotional healing.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships shape feelings and expectations in current relationships, helping people notice patterns and build healthier connections. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying new behaviors to reduce anxiety or improve focus, which can be practiced between sessions. Client-centered therapy centers on the person’s experience, offering empathetic listening and support while the client sets the pace and goals.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. That shared exploration makes it easier to combine strategies like skill practice, mindfulness, and writing exercises in a way that fits each person.

Online sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited or a quieter voice check-in is needed, and chat or messaging can support brief check-ins, reflection, or coaching between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and continue progress even when schedules change.

Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does she help people with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, low self-esteem, career questions, ADHD-related concerns, grief, trauma, and life changes.
How would you describe the therapeutic style?
The style is honest and direct yet warm. Sessions combine practical skill-building with emotional exploration and reflective writing when helpful.
What is her background and level of experience?
She has 30 years of clinical experience and has led groups on separation, divorce, infidelity, co-parenting, and social anxiety.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California.
Which languages are offered and are international sessions available?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for online work?
Sessions can be held by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does payment or cost work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to therapist availability.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
30 years
Licensed
California
Languages
English

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