- Direct and warm
- Writing as a tool
- Focus on relationships
About Sharon
Sharon (Shonnie) Brown is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with three decades of clinical work. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, grief, codependency, and life transitions. Her tone is direct but warm, and she invites a practical, step-by-step approach to change.
Shonnie draws on many therapeutic approaches to meet each person's needs. She blends attachment-focused ideas with cognitive-behavioral tools and client-centered listening. Sessions often include goal setting, coping skills, mindfulness, and writing exercises when helpful.
Her background includes a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. in counseling psychology from JFK University in Orinda, California. She has 30 years of experience as an LMFT working primarily with individuals and couples and has led groups on separation and divorce, infidelity, co-parenting education, and social anxiety.
Shonnie commonly works with people dealing with workplace stress, separation and divorce, self-esteem struggles, parenting challenges, and aging concerns. She has a particular interest in childhood trauma and uses resources such as Pete Walker’s roadmap on Complex PTSD as part of her thinking when appropriate.
In sessions she focuses on helping people tolerate difficult feelings, build self-compassion, and develop self-protection skills. Writing is often offered as a therapeutic tool. Her style is pragmatic: small steps, consistent practice, and attention to personal values guide the work.
How her therapeutic approaches shape online work
Shonnie uses Attachment-Based ideas to look at how early relationships affect current patterns. That approach helps people understand connection, boundaries, and reactions in close relationships.She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes a respectful, listening stance and meeting people where they are. This method supports self-discovery and builds a trusting therapeutic partnership.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is part of her toolkit for breaking unhelpful thoughts and building new coping skills. CBT is useful for anxiety, low mood, and stress that get in the way of daily life.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide which tools and methods to try and adjust the plan as work progresses.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the specific session formats before booking since the biography does not list them. Online work can help fit therapy into a busy life by reducing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins, or making scheduling around work and caregiving easier. It also makes it possible to continue regular sessions during relocations or life changes, while the therapist and client experiment with approaches that best suit the person's needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, codependency, grief, trauma, parenting challenges, and life transitions.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is honest and direct while remaining empathetic. Sessions mix listening with practical tools like goal setting, coping strategies, mindfulness, and writing exercises.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 30 years of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, working largely with individuals and couples and facilitating groups on separation, infidelity, and social anxiety.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds the credential LMFT, licensed in California, and her practice is based in California.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not specify which formats are offered.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.