Sharmen Rutherford

Sharmen Rutherford is a Licensed Professional Counselor - Mental Health Service Provider (LPC-MHSP) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 16 years of experience. She aims to stand alongside people during hard seasons and help them find practical ways forward. Her approach is warm and straightforward, focused on building strength, hope, and useful skills.

Sharmen works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, eating issues, anger, sleep problems, and self-esteem struggles. She also supports people facing career stress, grief, bipolar challenges, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. Additional areas she addresses include attachment and family of origin issues, body image, codependency, control and commitment concerns, dissociation, domestic violence, and recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Her practice integrates methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Mindfulness Therapy. Sessions focus on teaching coping skills, clarifying values, and developing specific strategies to handle triggers and cravings. She aims to make therapy practical and relatable so clients can use what they learn between sessions.

Sharmen has professional involvement with groups focused on addiction, trauma, and eating disorder care. She is based in Alabama and holds licensure in Tennessee as well. She communicates in English and does not work with international clients at this time.

People who choose her can expect a collaborative relationship where goals are set together and tools are taught in clear steps. To begin, visitors are invited to complete the site's matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behavior patterns and replacing them with practical skills to reduce symptoms like worry, sleep problems, and low mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills that can help with intense emotions, impulsive behaviors, and coping with crisis.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as needed so the process stays collaborative and focused on everyday results.

Confirm the available session options before booking, since formats are set by the therapist. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also lets people use methods like mindfulness exercises and skills training in the moments they matter most. Licensed professionals can guide the choice of approaches and help tailor each session to the individual's schedule and needs.