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LMFT

Sharon (Shonnie) Brown, LMFT

  • Experience30 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Relationship
  • Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Sharon

Sharon (Shonnie) Brown is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with three decades of clinical experience in California.

Background and approach

She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationships, self-esteem, career concerns, ADHD, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related difficulties, and life transitions, drawing on a long history of work with individuals and couples. Her background includes a B.A. from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in counseling psychology from JFK University in Orinda, CA.

Shonnie brings a candid, compassionate style that balances direct feedback with a warm therapeutic alliance. She blends attachment-informed perspectives, cognitive approaches, dialectical techniques, existential ideas, and client-centered listening to tailor interventions to each person’s needs.

Practical tools such as goal setting, coping skills, mindfulness practices, and optional writing exercises are offered to foster emotional regulation, self-compassion, and clearer life direction. Having facilitated groups on separation and divorce, infidelity, co-parenting, and social anxiety, she also uses insights from work on childhood trauma and Complex PTSD when relevant.

Her practice emphasizes small, steady steps toward change and encourages clients to cultivate self-protection, self-love, and resilience through everyday habits and therapeutic work.

Approaches for Online Work and Practical Support

Attachment-Based Therapy emphasizes how early relational patterns shape current ways of connecting and coping; online sessions can explore attachment themes to improve communication and emotional safety in relationships. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; this approach is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and sleep difficulties through skill-based practice and homework.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the client to identify goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, mixing techniques from different models as needed so therapy matches the person rather than fitting the person to a single method.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make ongoing work more accessible. These formats allow flexible scheduling, easier access across geographic distances within the region, and the ability to use written exercises or mindfulness prompts between sessions. The combination of relational focus and practical skills translates well to remote formats, enabling steady progress even when life is busy.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly help with?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationship problems, self-esteem, career concerns, ADHD, trauma and grief, intimacy-related issues, sleeping and parenting challenges.
What is her therapeutic style like?
The style is honest and direct while remaining warm and empathetic; she combines practical skill-building with relational focus to help clients tolerate emotions and build self-compassion.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 30 years of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has worked extensively with individuals and couples, as well as led groups on separation, infidelity, co-parenting, and social anxiety.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a California LMFT holding license number CA LMFT 30787 and practices from California.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are conducted in English; she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are sessions paid for and what do they cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesADHD

Also works with

Family conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementDepressionCoping with life changesCoaching

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsGuilt and shameInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMoney and financial issuesSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

30+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English

What Sharon can help with

Sharon (Shonnie) Brown works with clients on stress and anxiety, relationship issues, self esteem, career difficulties, and ADHD.

Sharon works with individuals and couples.

How Sharon approaches therapy

Sharon's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Sharon is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California, with 30 years of clinical experience.