- Anxiety and stress
- Addictions support
- Mindfulness and CBT
About Sharmen
Sharmen Rutherford is an LPC-MHSP and Licensed Professional Counselor with 16 years of experience based in Alabama. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, depression, relationship difficulties, grief, sleep problems, anger, self-esteem struggles, and related challenges.
Her approach mixes clear, practical methods with a focus on what helps day to day. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful patterns and try different actions. Client-Centered Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy are part of how she supports people who want more awareness and acceptance in stressful moments.
Sharmen has a long history of working with substance use and co-occurring concerns alongside mood and trauma-related issues. That experience informs how she supports people managing cravings, relapse risk, or the emotional effects of trauma. She also helps with eating and body-image issues and the strain those bring to daily life.
In sessions, she uses motivational interviewing techniques to help people consider change and stick with it. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are available for managing intense emotions and improving coping. Conversations are practical, with an emphasis on skills people can try between sessions.
She is a member of several professional organizations related to addiction, trauma, and eating issues and continues to pursue additional specialist training. Sessions are conducted in English. Before scheduling, readers should confirm current session options and costs via the site's booking flow.
How therapy approaches translate to online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and practicing small, meaningful actions toward those values, which can help with anxiety and avoidance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviors and teaches concrete tools for changing unhelpful patterns. Mindfulness Therapy encourages noticing moment-to-moment experience to reduce reactivity and improve focus during stressful social situations.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That conversation guides whether sessions emphasize skills practice, values-based action, thought work, or mindfulness exercises.
Session formats are not listed here, so confirm current online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten check-ins when schedules are tight, and avoid travel time. Some formats let people use video for skills practice while others may allow shorter phone check-ins when a full session is harder to schedule. Discuss format preferences during the initial matching steps so sessions match everyday routines.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Listed in
Alabama, Tennessee
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
Sharmen helps people with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, depression, grief, sleep problems, anger, self-esteem and related issues.
What style of therapy does she use?
She combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, DBT skills and Mindfulness Therapy depending on the person's needs.
How much experience does she have?
She has 16 years of clinical experience working with addiction, trauma, mood and related concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is credentialed as LPC-MHSP and LPC and practices out of Alabama.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.