Sharon (Shonnie) Brown, LMFT

Sharon (Shonnie) Brown is a California LMFT with 30 years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship problems, self-esteem, career concerns, ADHD, grief, trauma and abuse, and issues common in young adulthood.

Sharon writes plainly and directly in sessions. She helps people name what is happening, set practical goals, and develop coping skills. She often uses writing exercises as a way to process feelings and gain clarity. Her background includes group work on separation, divorce, infidelity, co-parenting, and social anxiety.

She trained at UC Berkeley for a B.A. and earned an M.A. in counseling psychology from JFK University in Orinda, California. Over three decades she has worked primarily with individuals and couples and has taught and led groups on relationship and life-transition topics. Her practice mixes cognitive approaches, solution-focused ideas, family-systems thinking, and psychodynamic perspectives.

Sharon notices two recurring patterns in her clients: difficulty self-soothing strong emotions, and trouble extending self-compassion and self-protection. She uses concrete tools such as goal setting, practical coping skills, mindfulness exercises, and optional writing practices to address those patterns.

People who come to her often want help moving through big life changes, managing toxic workplace stress, repairing or leaving relationships, or sorting out identity and purpose during young adulthood. She keeps sessions straightforward and action oriented while attending to underlying patterns that repeat across relationships.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions