Dr. Sharona is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has masters degrees, in Child Development and Clinical Social Work. In addition, she received a Certificate of  Advanced Professional Studies in Marital and Family Therapy (from an AAMFT, American Association of Marital and Family Therapy accredited program). Her doctorate is in Clinical Hypnotherapy, having received the highest level of training available in hypnosis. Dr. Sharona firmly believes in obtaining Informed Consent for the use of hypnosis in treatment and offers this to clients only if they express a specific interest in this modality. 

Dr. Sharona started her career in counseling and family therapy after earning her masters degree is in Child Development. She was drawn to studies of normal child development as a basis for understanding cognitive, emotional and social development. Her solid foundation in normal development processes has proven valuable in understanding the ways in which development can go awry. Dr. Sharona is able to utilize her extensive knowledge of secure and insecure attachment to help her clients understand how this may be affecting them in adulthood. Dr. Sharona is familiar with current research on attachment and the implications of secure, anxious and avoidant attachment styles in adult relationships and ability to be effective in the work environment. These early influences on a developing child have been found to effect most aspects of a person's adult functioning and ability to accept challenges lationshaddresses variations in attachment  applies these early life experiences that have long-reaching effects on adult functioning. Dr. Sharona believes that emotional development could have been arrested compromising a person's ability to effectively navigate their way in the world. Her work with clients can be at different levels of depth, recognizing many clients are interested in dealing only with their immediate life stressors and responds setting with the client appropriate goals for their work together. Sometimes clients are wanting to do deeper work, to heal earlier emotional wounds that may have contributed to the formation of anxious or avoidant attachment styles, and recognize that something of this nature may be causing them to feel "relationship-challenged."  

Dr. Sharona works with clients within a framework of understanding that personal and emotional development are ongoing process available to those who are open to it, throughout their Life Cycle. Mental health can be viewed in terms of a person's ability to be open to considering new ideas. She has discovered that education in clinical social work  provides the underpinnings for understandingthe various contexts in which people conduct their lives i.e., in the family, the workplace, school with teachers and other parents, the community, etc. Some people are able to successfully negotiate the less personal work environment while having more difficulties emotionally connecting at home or in a romantic relationship. While someone else may have an easier time interacting socially and struggle more when it comes to taking initiative and persevering through difficult tasks in the workplace. Dr. Sharona can help you develop strategies for addressing conflicts, resolving impasses, improving communication skills, effectively managing emotional responses as well as in developing productive problem-solving strategies. Dr. Sharona's passion for learning about people and the challenges that they face as well as her personal love for learning, contribute to the depth and breadth of skills she brings to treating her clients. 

In Dr. Sharona's practice, she has helped clients who faced both anticipated and unanticipated  life transitions. Learning attitudes of acceptance of "what is, just is," opens pathways for exploring what is possible to change and when the best response is to develop more flexible ways of thinking about circumstances that can lessen the emotional intensity being experienced. In the context of the therapeutic relationship with Dr. Sharona  clients discover that they can relax rigidly held ideas and begin to entertain more flexible ways of thinking. They can develop nonadversarial ways of communicating about their frustrations and disappointments which decreases the defensive responses they may have been experiencing from others. When you are able to reframe obstacles in your path as challenges to be mastered, negative thoughts decrease and self-esteem improves with experiences of greater life satisfaction.

     
Dr. Sharona has also trained as a Personal and Executive Coach, and in Emotional Intelligence offering individual and corporate services (See Coaching page). Dr. Sharona brings her expertise in "attachment" to her work with families divorcing, and is a  certified Child and Family Investigator; certified  Parenting Coordinator; and a Parenting Coach for divorcing parents who desire assistance in writing comprehensive Parenting Plans.

Dr. Sharona enjoys working with a broad spectrum of clients including preschool aged children, school-aged children, adolescents, adults, couples and families; expectant parents; and corporate executives. In addition, she provides consultation and advocacy services for children and parents who reside in most school districts and day care centers in the Metro area. 

Dr. Sharona is an interactive, solution-focused therapist who works well with clients who want to invest in personal growth or circumstances have brought them to the realization that they could benefit from some assistance with the life challenges they are facing. She is described by her clients as compassionate, easy to open with, sensitive to differences in personalities and attuning her approach to a specific client's style of approaching and developing relationships. Dr. Sharona is particularly aware and sensitive to understanding what it means personally for each of her clients to be seeking help which eases the way into safer self-disclosure. Clients find her growth-promoting orientation softens apprehensions as well as her ability to create a working partnership often eases clients' feelings of vulnerability. 

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Education
MEd     Masters in Child Development Eliot-Pearson Child Study Department,Tufts University, Medford, MA

 
MSW    Masters in Clinical Social Work Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, CO   

Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies
The Family Therapy Training Center (formerly affiliated with the University of Denver, Graduate School of Social Work)
Denver, CO

DCH     American Institute of Hypnotherapy
(Formerly in Irvine, CA, and now affiliated with the University of the Pacific)

License

LCSW      Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Additional Training

Schema Therapy
Explosive Child Consultant
Shared Parenting Support Program
Prepare/Enrich Premarital and Marital Assessment and Relationship Coaching
NLP Personal & Executive Coach Training
Emotional Intelligence Consultant & MSCEIT Emotional Intelligence Assessment 

Professional Services Offered

Personal and Executive Coaching
Behavioral Consultant to Schools and Day Care Centers (child clients)
Student & Family Advocate in IEP Development & Implementation Issues 
Child and Family Investigator
Mediator
Parenting Coordinator and Decision Maker
Consultant to Attorneys in Parental Alienation Cases

Professional Activities and Memberships

NASW National Association of Social Workers
AAMFT American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
MDIC Metropolitan Interdisciplinary Committee on Child Custody
AFCC AAssociation of Family and Conciliation Courts
ASCH American Society of Clinical Hypnotherapy