Hello, I'm Sharon.

Since 2001, I have been honored to work with people off all ages and from a variety of backgrounds, in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and now for the last 10 years in Metro Detroit.  In addition to my role as a psychotherapist, I have been a teacher, a school social worker, and an elementary school principal.  I've worked with people with a variety of strengths and needs including anxiety and depression, behavioral concerns, chronic health issues, and relationship issues. 

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In therapy, I believe in getting to know each client as an individual and working together to determine goals and create a vision for the future.  Based on the specific needs of each client, we will formulate a plan for how to address the concerns and build upon strengths.

I have experience, I am confident in what I know, AND I approach every new person and new experience as a learner.  I will treat you like an individual and be ready to adapt my approach TO you and WITH you. You will be a part of the process. I will tell you what I'm thinking, and I will welcome you're feedback. If a connection I make for you feels right, great! If it doesn't, I want you to tell me so we can figure it out.  The field of psychotherapy is growing and changing all the time, and I'm excited to utilize the developments in technology and knowledge to come up with the best possible plan to help you reach your goals, feel how you want to feel, and be YOU.

Even when pain may be deep and fear may feel unbearable, there may be  a way to step back and laugh, for even just a minute.  If there is a way to laugh together, we will find it!

I use a variety of approaches to support my clients, and no psychotherapy plan is the same because no individual is the same as the next (of course!) Models I pull heavily from are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and EMDR, and for couples, Emotion Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method.

Qualifications

Prior to my current work, I spent many years working in schools, as a teacher, as a mental health professional, and as a principal. I was a Teach For America Corps member in New York City in 2001. This gives me a unique perspective to understand the stresses of working in schools and in challenging work environments, as well as the experience of adolescents facing school pressures. I have also worked with couples and families in a variety of capacities, as a family therapist for a Wayne State Medical School research study and as a parent trainer in Southwest Detroit. I have provided mentorship and supervision to limited license social workers and MSW students for the last 10 years as a field instructor for University of Michigan, which allows me to develop new clinicians and pushes me to stay current on new developments.

My education:

  • Masters of Clinical Social Work with a focus on Mental Health at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI in 2008

  • Master of Science in Teaching at Pace University in New York, New York in 2003

  • BSSP Northwestern University in Evanston, IL in 2001-Go Cats!

Advanced training

  • EMDR Basic Training from the Personal Transformation Institute (50 hours, EMDRIA approved)

  • EMDR Advanced Training focusing on the perinatal period from The Institute for Creative Mindfulness (EMDRIA approved)

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Basic Training from the OCD and Anxiety Institute in Pittsburgh

  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy from the Gottman Institute

  • Perinatal Mental Health from Postpartum Support International

  • Dialectal Behavioral Therapy, Private Mentorship