Sharon Beal Armendariz

I graduated with a bachelor's degee in Sociology from State University of New York in 1993. I worked for 20 years as a senior paralegal specializing in immigration law. I re-careered, graduating with honors from the University of Southern California, earning a Master of Social Work degree in 2017. I have been a practicing therapist since graduation.

My areas of specialization include: adult mental health, trauma, addiction, and autism spectrum disorder I (Asperger's Syndrome) in adults.

I am an attachment and trauma focused therapist committed to helping clients to reveal to themselves the underlying causes, origins, and nature of the issues they have come to experience. My work focuses on reducing fear and building confidence around the "normal" ways that the brain reacts to the stressful events that color our lives. I believe in taking a client focused, strengths based, and mindful approach to helping clients discover their adaptive capacity for resilience.

I am passionate about discovering resources and seeking solutions to the worldly issues which create barriers to individual healing and take time from the process of self-discovery.

Sessions are highly individualized and focus on collaborative processing of concerns, goal setting, and progress tracking. I encourage clients to review resources we discover together, to check out relevant media including books, videos, and podcasts that may be interesting or helpful; and welcome client feedback.