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Licensed
Online Counseling
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M.A., LMFT Sharon (Shonnie) Brown

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

Mental health conditions are real, common and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Sharon (Shonnie) Brown is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

More about me

Licensing: M.A., LMFT Years in Practice: 30 State: California

Hello! I'm a northern California native and have lived much of my adult life adapting to other cultures. Life's challenges and transitions, including divorce and shyness, have facilitated my growth as a psychotherapist, helping me to accept change as part of life.

I received my B.A. from UC Berkeley and my M.A. in counseling psychology from JFK University in Orinda, CA. I have 25+ years experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), working primarily with individuals and couples. I have facilitated groups on separation and divorce, infidelity, co-parenting education, and social anxiety.

Particular areas of interest are: major life transitions, separation and divorce, infidelity, couples and relationship counseling, broken friendships, self-esteem issues, young adulthood, employment issues, parenting, and aging issues. I am also a professional writer and use writing as a tool for emotional healing..

My work is honest, direct, and from the heart. I use a variety of approaches, including cognitive and solution-focused therapies, family systems, and psychodynamic. Recently I have incorporated Pete Walker, MFT’s roadmap on childhood trauma (Complex PTSD) into my work.

An inability to self-soothe or tolerate one’s own feelings (i.e. hurt, anger, jealousy, guilt, fear) is the underlying main issue for my clients. The other main issue is lack of self-compassion, self-protection, and self-love. I use tools such as goal setting, coping skills, mindfulness exercises, and writing exercises (as desired) along with building a strong therapeutic relationship. Life is delicate and fragile. I work on optimism and gratitude every day. As human beings we can only take one step at a time. Please consider contacting me as a step toward the change you want in your life.

About online counseling

Online counseling allows you to receive care from an online mental health practitioner via phone, video chat, or instant messaging. It is convenient for those who may have trouble getting to or would prefer not to have in-person therapy appointments. Starting at $65 per week, online counseling is generally more affordable than in-person counseling. A study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that online counseling can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy while being more convenient, affordable, and accessible.

Try online counseling with Sharon (Shonnie) Brown

Chat now
Issues
Stress Anxiety Relationship issues Self esteem Career difficulties ADHD Family conflicts Trauma and abuse Grief Intimacy-related issues Sleeping disorders Parenting issues Anger management Depression Coping with life changes Coaching
Languages Spoken
English

Services offered

Professional, confidential, and judgment-free

Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation.

Please note: It can take up to 24-48 hours to be matched to a therapist.

Reviews for Sharon (Shonnie) Brown

Overall Rating

(26 reviews)
Rate Sharon How was your experience?

Overall

Shonnie is an incredible therapist who is able skillfully listen to you and pick up on your needs. She asks great questions, is empathetic, and her expertise shines through. Awesome experience with her so far.

Jan 08, 2024

Overall

Shonnie has helped me through a difficult time in my life, offering empathy and professional support at the same time, when I needed it most. She is "Human" and has motherly vibe to her that brought me comfort and helped me gain strength again. She is very resourceful and offers lots of worksheets that come in handy. After a while I felt like talking to Shonnie was like talking to a family member. I am extremely grateful for her qualifications and her human nature that proved to be exactly what I needed to put me back on a proper path.

Sep 11, 2023

Overall

Shonnie has been such a great gift to me and my family! I can’t thank her enough for the help she’s provided. Hopefully this review will suffice.

A.L.·Nov 16, 2021

Overall

Shonnie is very compassionate and provides great tools to assist client.

N.O.·Sep 09, 2021

Overall

Very adaptive to needs!

G.E.·Apr 07, 2021

Overall

Shonnie is such an amazing resource and counselor! She is so kind and communicative, I always felt as though she was listening and always gave sound advice!

B.A.·Mar 30, 2021

Overall

Shonnie is a really great listener, and she gives insightful feedback.

R.E.·Jan 18, 2021

Overall

Shonnie is the best.

T.A.·Dec 10, 2020

Overall

I had sessions with Bonnie few months to help me with anxiety plus the declining health of my mother. I felt that Bonnie really cared and I noticed that during our calls. She was patient and sympathetic and also provided tools to help with anxiety.

E.L.·Nov 25, 2020

Overall

My counselor and I had great rapport. I could hear her guiding voice in my head between appointments. I believe that she really cared for me and my success. If you've never tried counseling, I recommend Betterhelp as it's super convenient and my counselor used solid Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques. Here's to your success!

S.A.·Oct 01, 2020

Overall

I can't say enough good things about Shonnie and the entire Better Help Program. I look forward to my sessions every week and find myself growing in areas I had no idea I was even looking to work on. Especially during this particularly stressful time of COVID-19, Shonnie has offered me the support and courage I need to have made some very important changes in my life. I look forward to a long relationship with her and the service.

M.A.·Aug 19, 2020

Overall

Shonnie is wonderful, she is very attentive and helpful. She brings in some of her own experiences to help relate or illustrate concepts which is extremely helpful for me. I would highly recommend her to anyone that wants to set goals and meet them to better themselves and make themselves healthier.

M.A.·Jun 21, 2020

Overall

Shonnie has helped me so so much! She is an amazing therapist and is very involved in my health. I'm so appreciative of her impact on my life and wellbeing :)

S.A.·Jun 19, 2020

Overall

Shonnie Brown is amazing! She is very effective in cognitive behavioral therapy, and she does an excellent job of validating my movement in a positive direction. Thank you!

S.H.·May 28, 2020

Overall

Shonnie has been a positive force in my journey of healing! I feel like I have achieved so much in such a little time. Highly recommend!

J.A.·May 27, 2020

Overall

Shonnie has been wonderful - a huge help. I feel like she genuinely cares. More so than any other counselor/therapist I've ever worked with.

K.E.·May 22, 2020

Overall

Shonnie is great and has helped move my mental health to a great place... Somewhere I couldn't imagine going =) Strongly recommended!

A.L.·Apr 20, 2020

Overall

Shonnie has been a positive guiding force in my life for over a year. She helped me develop coping strategies and ways of thinking that empowered me to navigate tumultuous major life changes. Through our time working together, I developed healthy habits and techniques to better manage my anxiety, depression, and panic attacks that have enriched my life in an immeasurable number of ways outside of our sessions. What I appreciate most about Shonnie was that she listens without judgment, and was able to help me dig deep beneath the surface to better understand the root of a problem in order to address it head-on and find practical solutions. I consider Shonnie loyal, compassionate, and highly dependable - I recommend her with my highest regard to any individual who aims to gain a better understanding of themselves, and more importantly, who aspire to learn how to love every part of themselves and live a life filled with gratitude.

C.A.·Mar 12, 2020

Overall

Shonnie has been an extremely helpful counselor -- she's an excellent listener and has helped me better understand how to approach issues and problems.

A.N.·Oct 02, 2019

Overall

In the short span of 9 months, Shonnie has become like one of my best friends. At first, I was skeptical of doing therapy since I'm very "psychologically healthy". A few challenges in my personal life lead me to try therapy for a month. Now I consider it an important part of my growth as a businessman and leader within my community. Thank you Shonnie for being so helpful during the recent difficulties; I am very lucky to have found you!

J.A.·Sep 03, 2019

Overall

Shonnie was able to help me quickly identify the deep-seated issues that were causing all of this strife that I was experiencing and worked with me to develop a plan that would help me overcome my problems. This plan that we developed required that I put in the work and actively participate in my recovery. This was the first time I had encountered this sort of accountability with a counselor, and I will tell you that it made all of the difference. She is empathetic and will hold you to your words and actions, and that is precisely what I needed. I want to extend the biggest of "Thank you"s to Shonnie for all of the help and guidance she has given me.

G.A.·Apr 19, 2019

Overall

I wish I had found Shonnie earlier, she is the best therapist I have worked with and would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone I know.

D.A.·Apr 15, 2019

Overall

I would like to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am that I was paired with Shonnie Brown as my therapist at betterhelp... It took me a long while to make the decision to do online counselling, and this is my first month. Shonnie jumped right in and made me feel comfortable and it is easy to open up to her. She is a good listener and has already imparted wisdom to me that has helped me to better understand my situations. From our first phone encounter I immediately felt so comfortable talking with her, and she made me feel as if she cared what I was saying. I look forward to our continued relationship and would recommend her highly. I am extremely fortunate to have the pleasure of working with Shonnie, she was a perfect fit for me! PEACE

S.A.·Mar 27, 2019

Overall

Shonnie is an incredibly empathetic, caring therapist--the best I've ever had. She has the gift of being able to provide clarity in only a few succinct words so I feel like I really get the most out of what can often feel like a not-long-enough amount of time. I leave every session feeling like I had at least a minor breakthrough and she leaves me with food for thought that helps me through my week. Even during sessions where I do most of the talking, the fact that Shonnie is such an intent listener makes me feel heard and understood and that alone is worth the cost of therapy.

S.H.·Feb 24, 2019

Overall

Shonnie's therapy is dynamic, responsive, insightful, and incisive. She's a sensitive listener, and I know she cares about me. Her professionalism is in every way excellent.

C.R.·Feb 20, 2019

Overall

She has been extremely helpful and has helped me overcome my fear of commitment. I was in an abusive relationship and she helped me cope up with everything.

G.A.·Feb 06, 2019

Benefits

Affordable, convenient, and accessible, Sharon (Shonnie) Brown offers counseling online

  • Affordable: Pay a low flat fee.
  • Convenient: Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
  • Available now: There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.