01
Your relationship feels stuck
The same argument on repeat. Distance where there used to be closeness. You love each other, but you’ve stopped hearing each other.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist · Los Angeles, CA
You don’t have to carry it alone anymore.
I’m Sharen H. Zadeh, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles. For over twenty years I’ve helped women, families and teens move through anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and life’s hardest transitions — with warmth, honesty, and practical tools that actually fit your life.
2006Licensed LMFT since
20+Years of experience
M.A.Antioch University
Welcoming new clientsOnline therapy across California · 50–60 minute sessions
Is this you?
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place
Most of my clients are capable, caring people who look “fine” from the outside. On the inside, it often sounds more like this:
- You replay conversations for hours, wondering if you said the wrong thing.
- You’re high-functioning — and quietly exhausted from holding it all together.
- You put everyone else first, then feel guilty the moment you rest.
- You’re navigating a life transition and feel unmoored, even when the change was your choice.
- Grief comes in waves you didn’t expect — sometimes in the middle of an ordinary day.
- You keep having the same argument, and you want a relationship that feels safe.
- Your mind is still racing at 2 a.m., even on the days that went fine.
You don’t have to wait until it gets worse to deserve support. A free consultation is simply a conversation — no pressure, no commitment — about where you are and what might help.
Why therapy, why now
The hardest part is the first step
Most people wait far too long before asking for support — until the stress starts costing them sleep, health, or the relationships they care about most. Therapy works because you don’t have to untangle it by yourself anymore. Sound familiar?
02
Anxiety runs your days
A racing mind, a tight chest, dread you can’t explain. You’re functioning — but you’re exhausted from holding it together.
03
You’re burned out
Work, family, everyone’s needs before your own. Somewhere along the way, you disappeared from your own life.
04
Life changed, fast
A new baby, a loss, infertility, a move, a child struggling. Transitions crack things open — and that’s exactly when support matters most.
Credentials & training
- Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), California — licensed since 2006
- Undergraduate degree, UCLA
- M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Antioch University
- Clinical supervisor — mentors interns on their path to licensure
- Ongoing workshops & training in current, evidence-based practice
She earned her M.A. at Antioch University Los Angeles, one of LA’s leading training programs for therapists, known for its social-justice-oriented training and its progressive approach to adult education.
Meet your therapist
Hi there, I’m Sharen!
I became a therapist because I believe people heal in relationships, and the bond between client and therapist can be a meaningful part of that healing. This work is a calling I’ve devoted my life to. For more than two decades, I’ve worked in clinical settings across Los Angeles, serving diverse communities. Before opening my private practice, I spent years managing and supervising therapists, leading a clinical team of licensed clinicians and interns on their path to licensure. Guiding other therapists in their growth remains some of the most rewarding work of my life. I continue to read, train, and learn, because my clients deserve care that keeps growing.
In my practice, you’ll find a safe, nurturing, non-judgmental space where you can explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences honestly, and feel truly heard, understood, and valued. Together, we’ll look at the whole picture of your life: self-care, self-compassion, and the authentic self you may have had to quiet down. I also work as a life coach and mental health educator. Whether you’re navigating a relationship, moving through a life transition, or simply sensing that life could feel lighter and more fulfilling, you’re welcome here. Together, we’ll create a path that honors your goals and unfolds at your own pace.
The care I bring to this work comes not only from my training, but from my own life. My path has held its share of hard things: family patterns I’ve had to gently untangle, an upbringing and cultural expectations I’ve had to find my own way through, and seasons of loss and grief that asked everything of me. It has also held so much joy: love, family, and a career that has challenged and rewarded me beyond what I imagined.
All of it shaped me. Through the hard and the beautiful, I’ve learned to feel more comfortable in my own skin, to hold healthy boundaries, and to speak my mind. It made me the woman I am today, and I’m still growing. I always will be.
I know what it’s like to sit with the hard things. And I know what it’s like to slowly find your way back to yourself.
Wherever you are on your path, you don’t have to walk it alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside you. Let’s begin together.
— Sharen H. Zadeh, LMFT
Specialties
Therapy for women in Los Angeles
Individual therapy for women, from early adulthood onward — plus parenting education. I offer telehealth sessions only, for clients anywhere in California. Now welcoming new clients.
Parenting, Families & Teens
Support for parents, adolescents and families navigating conflict, big feelings, school stress and changing family dynamics.
Self-help steps & how I can help
Anxiety & Depression
Evidence-based tools to quiet the spiral, lift the fog, and rebuild energy and motivation — plus the deeper work of understanding what’s underneath.
Self-help steps & how I can help
Healing from Trauma
Careful, paced work that helps painful experiences lose their grip — so the past stops running the present.
Self-help steps & how I can help
Online Therapy in California
The same depth of care from wherever you are in California — private, secure video sessions that fit real schedules.
When to reach for more supportMy approach
Grounded in research, centered on you
Every person who walks through my door is unique, and so is the path to feeling better. That’s why I don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, I draw from proven methods and blend them in a way that fits you: your story, your needs, and your goals.
Depending on what will help you most, our work together may include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to understand and shift the thoughts and patterns that keep you stuck
- Mindfulness to help you slow down, stay present, and find calm in the moment
- Positive psychology to build on your strengths and what’s already working in your life
- Solution-focused therapy to keep us focused on where you want to go, not only where you’ve been
- Motivational interviewing to help you find your own reasons for change and move toward it at a pace that feels right
You’ll never be just a treatment plan to me. We’ll decide together what feels right, and you’ll always be met with warmth, respect, and care.
1 · Reach out
Call or message to schedule a first consultation. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you in and whether we’re the right fit — no pressure, ever.
2 · Your personal plan
Together we set clear goals and build a treatment plan around your life, your history, and what “better” looks like for you.
3 · The work
Weekly 50–60 minute telehealth sessions — where insight meets practical, usable tools.
4 · A life that feels like yours
Stronger coping skills, clearer communication, and resilience you keep long after therapy ends.
Why clients choose Sharen
Experience you can trust, care you can feel
Choosing a therapist is an act of trust. Here is what stands behind this practice:
20+Years helping individuals, families & adolescents
Since 2006Licensed by the State of California as an LMFT
M.A.in Clinical Psychology — Antioch University
∞Commitment to learning — ongoing training, every year
- Warm & non-judgmental — clients describe Sharen’s style as approachable, collaborative and culturally sensitive.
- Heard, understood, valued — empathy, active listening, clarity and respect in every session.
- Practical tools, not just talk — you’ll leave sessions with skills you can use the same week.
- A mentor to therapists — Sharen has supervised interns toward licensure; teaching deepens mastery.
A moment of calm, right now
Try it: tools my clients love
Therapy builds skills you can use between sessions. Take sixty seconds with the breathing exercise, then flip a few coping cards — small tools, real shifts.
Guided breathing
Follow the circle: breathe in as it grows, hold, and let go slowly as it shrinks. Slower exhales tell your nervous system it’s safe to stand down.
Coping skills cards
Eight pocket-sized strategies from the therapy room. Tap a card to flip it — or let fate pick one for you. 0 of 8 discovered
5-4-3-2-1 grounding
Anxiety pulling you into your head? This classic grounding exercise brings you back to the present through your senses. Take your time with each step.
Ready to begin? Tap start when you're comfortable.
Two-minute body scan
Tension hides in the body. This guided scan moves from feet to head — tense each area for five seconds, then let it melt. No equipment, just you.
Find a comfortable position. Tap begin when you're ready.
Daily affirmation
A small truth to carry with you today. A fresh one appears each morning — or draw another whenever you need it.
Calm soundscapes
Soft background sound for winding down, focusing, or drifting off. Pick one and let it play — set a sleep timer and it fades out on its own.
Gentle rain
Ocean waves
Deep calm
Choose a sound to begin.
No sound? On iPhone, flip the silent switch off — web audio stays muted in silent mode.
Healing resources
Small steps toward healing, wherever you are
Healing rarely happens in one big leap. It happens in small, kind, repeatable steps. Find the season you’re in, try one or two of the practices below this week, and notice what shifts — gently, at your own pace.
Grief & Loss
There is no schedule for grief and no “right” way to do it. The goal isn’t to move on — it’s to learn to carry the love alongside the loss.
- Let the waves come. Grief arrives in surges; a wave crests, and it passes. You don’t have to fight it or perform it for anyone.
- Keep one small ritual: a weekly visit, a letter you never send, their favorite song on Sunday mornings. Ritual gives grief a place to live.
- Say their name and tell the stories. Talking about who you lost keeps connection alive while you adjust to the change.
- Tend the basics — sleep, food, fresh air. Grief is physical work, and your body is doing more than you can see.
“Grief is the price we pay for love.”
Grief is at the heart of Sharen’s practice. Book a free consultation
Anxiety
Anxiety is your alarm system stuck on “high.” You can’t argue it off — but you can teach your body, patiently, that you are safe.
- Slow the exhale. Breathe in for 4, out for 6 (try the breathing tool above). Long exhales are a direct signal to your nervous system.
- Ground in the present: name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear. Anxiety lives in the future; bring yourself back to now.
- Shrink the worry window. Give worries a scheduled 15 minutes a day; outside it, jot the thought down and return to your life.
- Move and limit the fuel: a daily walk, steady sleep, and less caffeine and doom-scrolling genuinely lower baseline anxiety.
“Nothing diminishes anxiety faster than action.”
Want help quieting the alarm for good? Book a free consultation
Depression
Depression isn’t laziness or weakness — it’s a heavy fog that makes even small things feel enormous. You don’t climb out of it by trying harder; you find your way back one small, kind step at a time.
- Shrink the day. When everything feels too much, pick one small doable thing — a shower, a short walk, one answered text. Small completions tell your brain: I can still move.
- Borrow light from routine. Same wake time, daylight early, regular meals. Depression scrambles rhythm; gentle structure steadies mood more than motivation does.
- Don’t believe everything you feel at midnight. Low mood lies fluently. Postpone big conclusions about yourself and your life for daylight — and for support.
- Tell one person the truth. Even “I’m not okay right now” breaks the isolation depression feeds on. You don’t have to carry it in silence.
“You don’t have to feel better to begin. Begin, gently — and let feeling follow.”
If the fog has been hanging around a while, support helps. Book a free consultation
Trauma
What happened to you was not your fault, and healing does not require reliving it all at once. Safety first, always — your pace is the right pace.
- Build a “calm kit”: a scent, a song, a photo, a texture — things that remind your body of safety when memories surge.
- Anchor in the present. When the past intrudes, name where you are and today’s date out loud: “I’m home. It’s 2026. I’m safe now.”
- Restore choice in small ways — what to eat, when to rest, who to tell. Trauma takes choice away; healing hands it back.
- Go slowly with support. Deep trauma work belongs with a trained therapist who can help you process without being overwhelmed.
“There is a crack in everything — that’s how the light gets in.”
You don’t have to do this work alone. Book a free consultation
Relationship Wounds
Betrayal, distance, the same fight for the hundredth time — relationship pain cuts deep because connection is where we’re meant to thrive.
- Soften the start-up. Begin hard conversations with “I feel…” and one clear need, instead of “You always…”. How it starts is how it ends.
- Take repair breaks. When your heart races past 100 bpm, pause for 20 minutes, self-soothe, and return — as agreed, not as punishment.
- Turn toward the small bids: the sigh, the story about their day, the hand on your shoulder. Connection is built in tiny moments.
- Ask what’s underneath. Anger often guards hurt or fear. Curiosity about your partner’s inner world changes the whole conversation.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
Relationship and parenting work is a core specialty here. Book a free consultation
Burnout
Burnout isn’t a personal failure — it’s what happens when output outruns recovery for too long. Rest is not a reward for finishing; it’s part of the work.
- Audit your drains and gains. List what empties you and what fills you; schedule one “gain” before adding anything new.
- Practice the complete sentence: “No.” Start small, be kind, don’t over-explain. Every yes to everyone is a no to yourself.
- Recover in micro-doses: ten minutes of daylight, a real lunch away from screens, an evening ritual that ends the workday on purpose.
- Talk about it early. Burnout grows in silence and shame; naming it — to a friend, a manager, a therapist — is the first repair.
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.”
Running on empty? Let’s rebuild your reserves. Book a free consultation
Self-Esteem Struggles
Low self-esteem is usually a learned story, not the truth. Stories can be revised — one kind, honest sentence at a time.
- Catch the critic, answer like a friend. When the inner voice attacks, ask: “Would I say this to someone I love?” Then say that instead.
- Keep an evidence file. Write down compliments, finished hard things, and kind acts. Read it when the old story gets loud.
- Collect small wins. Confidence grows from kept promises to yourself — tiny ones count most, because they’re repeatable.
- Curate your inputs. Limit comparison feeds and people who shrink you; spend time where you feel seen and respected.
“You do not have to earn your own kindness. Begin where you are, with the voice you’d use for someone you love.”
Ready to rewrite the story? Book a free consultation
Life Transitions
New baby, empty nest, career change, divorce, a move — even chosen changes involve loss. You’re not behind; you’re between chapters.
- Name the ending and the beginning. Transitions heal faster when we honor what’s ending instead of only bracing for what’s next.
- Keep one anchor routine. In a season when everything moves, one steady daily ritual tells your system: some things hold.
- Lower the bar on purpose. This is a season for “good enough.” Perfectionism and transition do not mix.
- Find your witnesses. One or two people who know what you’re in the middle of — and check in on the real answer.
“Every ending is a doorway. You don’t have to see the whole next room to take the first step through.”
In the middle of a big change? You don’t have to cross it alone. Book a free consultation
Women’s Therapy
So many women are everyone’s safe place — and have nowhere of their own to land. This is a space where you don’t have to be the strong one, the easy one, or the one who holds it all together.
- Name the mental load. The invisible planning, remembering and worrying you carry for everyone is real work. Naming it is the first step to sharing it.
- Practice receiving. Let help in without apologizing for needing it. Accepting care is a skill, not a weakness.
- Reclaim one hour that’s only yours. Not for errands or catching up — for rest, pleasure, or nothing at all. Guard it like an appointment.
- Speak before you’re sure it’s “big enough.” Your feelings don’t need to reach a crisis to deserve a witness — least of all your own.
“You are allowed to be a whole person, not just the person everyone else needs.”
A space that is entirely yours is waiting. Book a free consultation
Parenting & Family Stress
Parenting asks everything of you, often on very little sleep. You can love your kids fiercely and still feel overwhelmed, touched-out, or unsure — that doesn’t make you a bad parent; it makes you a human one.
- Repair beats perfect. You will lose your temper sometimes. What shapes kids most isn’t the rupture — it’s the repair: the apology, the reconnection, the “I love you” after.
- Regulate yourself first. A calm-ish parent is the intervention. Step away, breathe, splash cold water — then return to the conversation.
- Lower one bar today. Pick a single standard to relax this week — the tidy house, the perfect lunchbox. Peace is worth more than polish.
- Talk to your teen sideways. Cars, walks, late-night kitchen chats — teens often open up shoulder-to-shoulder, not face-to-face. Meet them where they are.
“Children don’t need perfect parents. They need present ones — and parents who repair.”
Support for your whole family starts with one conversation. Book a free consultation
Infertility, Pregnancy & Postpartum
Few journeys are lonelier than wanting a baby while the world keeps celebrating everyone else’s. And few seasons are more disorienting than new motherhood — joy and grief, love and overwhelm, often in the same hour. Both deserve real support.
- Protect your heart online. Mute, skip, leave early. You don’t owe anyone attendance at baby showers or a brave face in the comments.
- Grieve the version you imagined. The timeline, the easy pregnancy, the “glow” — letting go of the picture you carried is real grief work, and it counts.
- Watch for more than sadness. Postpartum anxiety, rage, intrusive thoughts and numbness are common and treatable — and they are not a verdict on you as a mother.
- Ask for specific help. “Hold the baby while I sleep at 2 p.m.” works better than “let me know.” People who love you want a job to do.
“However this chapter unfolds, your worth was never measured by it.”
Whatever stage of this journey you’re in, you deserve support too. Book a free consultation
When to reach for more support
Self-help is powerful — and some seasons call for a guide. Consider therapy if:
- Low mood, anxiety or stress is interfering with work, sleep or relationships most days.
- You’ve tried the self-help steps for a while and feel stuck in the same loop.
- A relationship, your teen, or your family is struggling and conversations keep ending in the same place.
- You simply want a space that is entirely yours, with someone in your corner.
“Asking for help isn’t giving up. It’s refusing to give up on yourself.”
A gentle note: these resources are here to support and inspire you — they complement, but do not replace, working with a licensed therapist. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 any time, day or night.
Book a free consultationA Legacy of Love
In loving memory of my kind mother and spirited brother
Two people whose love lives on in everything I do. My mother taught me how to care for others with an open heart. My brother taught me to be resilient, to stand by what I believe, and to lead with kindness. Their love helped shape the woman I am, and the work I offer here.
This practice is dedicated to them. May their light continue through every person who finds healing here.
God rest their souls.
Shullamith Hamudot
My Mother
Forever loved, forever missed.
Yeron Hamudot
My Brother
Gone far too soon; loved beyond measure.
From Sharen’s Shelf
Books that shaped me, and the lessons I carry into my work
Over nearly twenty years of practice, these eight books have been trusted companions. Each one taught me something that changed me, first as a person and then as a therapist. With each one, I’ve shared the line that stays with me and a few words on how I see it, because a lesson becomes healing only when we live it.
I hope you find yourself in these pages. If one speaks to you, I’d love to hear about it, whether we’re already working together or it becomes the start of our conversation.
Don’t Believe Everything You Think
Joseph Nguyen
A short, gentle guide to ending the suffering that overthinking creates. Drawing on Zen wisdom, Nguyen shows how our pain usually comes not from life itself but from the thoughts we layer over it — and how stillness and presence can return us to a peace that was never actually lost.
“A thought is not a fact.”— Joseph Nguyen
In Sharen’s words
This is the book I reach for when a client’s mind won’t stop spinning — and the one I return to when mine won’t, either. Most of the pain I see doesn’t come from what happened; it comes from the stories we tell ourselves about what happened. And the part that changed me most: peace isn’t something you earn after enough striving. It’s already there, underneath the noise, waiting.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents
Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson
A compassionate guide for anyone who grew up with parents who were physically present but emotionally unavailable. Gibson explains how emotionally immature parents shape their children’s inner world, why their adult children so often feel lonely and unseen, and how understanding the pattern is the first step toward a freer, more self-directed life.
“Naming the pattern frees you from self-blame.”— Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson
In Sharen’s words
So many of my clients carry a quiet loneliness they can’t quite explain — they weren’t neglected, exactly; they were just never fully met. This book gave that loneliness words. Freedom, I’ve learned, begins with seeing your parents clearly: grieving who they couldn’t be, letting go of the hope they’ll finally change, and then — gently — giving yourself what you missed. That’s not bitterness. That’s coming home to who you really are.
The End of Mental Illness
Dr. Daniel Amen
Drawing on decades of brain-imaging work, psychiatrist Daniel Amen argues that many conditions labeled “mental illness” are really brain-health problems — and that the brain can be helped. His whole-person program rests on sleep, nutrition, movement, and targeted care for the organ that runs your mood, focus, and memory.
“Caring for your body is caring for your mind.”— Dr. Daniel Amen
In Sharen’s words
Dr. Amen says something I now say in my own therapy room: mental health is brain health. How you slept, what you ate, whether you moved today — these shape how you feel as surely as any thought in your head. That reframe changed how I practice, because it means healing is whole-person care, and so much of it is already in our own hands. I share this one with clients who feel stuck despite trying so hard.
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself
Dr. Joe Dispenza
A blend of neuroscience, epigenetics, and guided meditation, this book argues that we quite literally become our repeated thoughts and feelings. Dispenza walks readers through a step-by-step process for breaking the emotional habits of the old self and rehearsing — mentally and physically — the person they intend to become.
“You are not your past — every day is a new chance to choose who you become.”— Dr. Joe Dispenza
In Sharen’s words
Dispenza put words to something I watch happen every week: we become what we rehearse. Wake up and replay yesterday’s thoughts and feelings long enough, and the past quietly starts writing your future. His invitation is the opposite — stop creating your life out of old wounds, and start creating it from the present instead: think, feel, and act from who you’re becoming. Change stops being a someday project and becomes a daily practice.
The Let Them Theory
Mel Robbins
Built around two small words with big consequences, Robbins’ bestseller is a manual for reclaiming your energy from other people’s behavior. When you stop trying to control what others do, say, and think — let them — you free up your time, peace, and attention for the one life you actually control: your own.
“Let them live their choices; let me live mine.”— Mel Robbins
In Sharen’s words
I think of this as the book for the recovering people-pleaser — and I meet her in my office every week. “Let them” hands other people back their own business: their moods, their opinions, their choices were never yours to carry. Then comes the part that holds the real power: “let me.” Let me choose where my energy goes. Let me decide what I allow into my life — because that is what a boundary really is. Not a wall against people; a say in your own peace.
Atomic Habits
James Clear
The modern classic on habit change. Clear shows that big transformations rarely come from big, dramatic efforts; they come from tiny improvements repeated until they compound. It’s a practical system for designing your days, your environment, and even your identity around the habits you want to keep.
“Small steps, repeated, create big change.”— James Clear
In Sharen’s words
When a client tells me they set a huge goal and fell short — again — this is the book I hand them. Clear freed me from the all-or-nothing trap: systems beat goals, every time. You don’t rise to the level of your ambitions; you land on the habits you repeat. Small steps, done on ordinary days, compound into a completely different life. And I love his reframe most of all: every small action is a vote for the person you’re becoming.
The Happiness Trap
Dr. Russ Harris
An introduction to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that turns the usual pursuit of happiness on its head. Harris explains why struggling to eliminate painful thoughts and feelings tends to deepen them, and teaches a different skill set: unhook from harsh self-talk, make room for difficult emotions, and act on your values anyway.
“Pain is part of a full life — make room for it, and keep moving toward what matters.”— Dr. Russ Harris
In Sharen’s words
This book dismantles, gently, the idea that a good life means feeling good all the time. Harris taught me — and I teach it now in my own room — that fighting hard feelings is exactly what keeps us stuck. The alternative isn’t surrender; it’s making room. Let the feeling be there, loosen its grip, and keep walking toward what matters. A meaningful life isn’t pain-free. It’s values-led, pain and all.
The Courage to Be Disliked
Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
Told as a five-night conversation between a philosopher and a doubtful young man, this Japanese bestseller presents the psychology of Alfred Adler. Its claims are bracing: the past does not determine the present, and happiness becomes possible the moment you stop living to meet other people’s expectations.
“You don’t need everyone’s approval to live a good life.”— Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
In Sharen’s words
Of everything on my shelf, this one asks the bravest thing of its reader. If your past doesn’t get to decide your future, then the story you’ve been carrying about why you are the way you are loses its power — and that can feel frightening before it feels freeing. So much unhappiness, I’ve found, comes from living for other people’s approval. The willingness to be disliked isn’t arrogance; it’s the price of living your own life, and it’s worth it.
Combined wisdom
What these eight books teach, together
If there is one thread running through all eight, it is this: healing rarely happens in one big moment. It arrives through small, honest shifts — a story in your head you finally stop believing, a boundary you keep, a hard feeling you make room for instead of fighting, one tiny habit repeated until it becomes who you are. Growth is not a finish line you cross once and for all. It is a returning — to yourself, again and again.
My Evolve With Sharen workbooks and guides carry these same lessons off the page — gentle, guided practices for living them between sessions.
Heal. Grow. Rise.
Between-session worksheets
Print one, keep it on the fridge, bring it to your next session. Small reflections, compounded weekly, are how change sticks.
Weekly Check-In Worksheet
My overall mood this week (circle one):
One thing that went better than expected:
One moment that was hard — and what I needed:
One thing I’m grateful for:
My intention for next week:
Download printable worksheetCouples “Soft Start-Up” Worksheet
Instead of “You always…”, try “I feel…” — I feel:
About / when… (describe the situation, not the person):
What I need from you is:
One thing I appreciate about you this week:
Download printable worksheetFollow along on Instagram
Gentle reminders, short reflections and tools from the therapy room, a few times a week — find me at @evolvewithsharen.
The Journal — insights & articles
Notes on healing, relationships & everyday calm
The Journal is where I’ll answer the questions clients ask most — and the ones people type into Google at 2 a.m. New articles will publish here regularly, each one grounded in evidence-based practice and written in plain, kind language. It launches with two published articles below, with more on the way.
Showing 4 articles · 3 published
Couples Therapy
Couples Therapy in Los Angeles: What Actually Happens in the First Session?
Most couples arrive nervous — worried they'll be judged, blamed, or told it's too late. Here's exactly how a first session unfolds, what I'm listening for, and the shift most couples can make before session two.
First: nobody's on trial. The most common fear I hear is "the therapist will take sides." That's not how this works. In our first session, I'm not deciding who's right — I'm listening for the pattern between you. Every couple has one: the cycle you get stuck in, the conversation that always goes sideways. My job is to see it clearly so we can change it together.
What I'll ask about. We'll talk about how you met, what drew you together, and when things started feeling hard. I'll ask about your families growing up — not to blame anyone, but because the way we learned to handle conflict as kids shapes how we handle it now. I'll also ask what you each want, not just what you want the other person to change.
What I'm listening for. Beneath the arguments about dishes or schedules, I'm listening for the deeper questions: Do I matter to you? Am I safe with you? Can I count on you when it counts? Most couples fights are really about these — they just come out sideways.
The shift before session two. Here's something you can try this week: when tension rises, pause and ask yourself — "What am I actually feeling underneath the frustration?" Then try saying that instead. "I feel lonely when we don't talk" lands very differently than "You never listen." It's a small change, but it's the foundation of everything we do in therapy.
When to come in. You don't need to be in crisis. In fact, the couples who do best are the ones who come in when things are "okay but not great" — when there's distance growing, or the same fight on repeat, or you're more like roommates than partners. Don't wait until someone's already halfway out the door.
What it costs and how it works. Sessions are 50 minutes, $175, online anywhere in California via secure telehealth. Many clients use out-of-network benefits. The first step is a free consultation call — no commitment, just a conversation about whether we're a good fit.
If you're reading this at midnight wondering whether it's too late for you two — it probably isn't. Call me and let's find out together.
Women's Therapy
How to Support Someone Who's Grieving (When You Don't Know What to Say)
Most people want to help when someone they love is grieving — and most are terrified of saying the wrong thing. As a therapist who sits with grief regularly, here's what actually helps, and what to avoid.
Show up, even imperfectly. The biggest mistake isn't saying the wrong thing — it's saying nothing because you're afraid. A simple "I'm thinking of you, no need to reply" means more than you know. Grief is lonely enough without silence from the people who care.
Don't try to fix it. Avoid phrases like "they're in a better place" or "everything happens for a reason." Even when well-meant, they can feel like you're minimizing the pain. You don't need to explain their loss or find a silver lining. Just witness it.
Be specific with help. "Let me know if you need anything" puts the burden on the grieving person to ask — which they won't. Instead: "I'm dropping off dinner Tuesday, no need to answer the door." Specific, concrete, no decision required.
Remember grief doesn't follow a timeline. The casseroles stop after two weeks. The texts fade after a month. But grief is still there at month three, month six, year two. Mark your calendar to reach out at the three and six-month marks — that's when people feel most forgotten.
Let them talk about the person. Say their name. Ask for a favorite memory. So many grieving people tell me everyone stopped mentioning their loved one, as if they'd never existed. Keeping their memory alive in conversation is a gift.
Know when to suggest professional support. If months pass and the person can't function, can't sleep, can't find moments of lightness — gently suggest a therapist who specializes in grief. It's not failure; it's giving the pain dedicated space.
Grief is love with nowhere to go. If you're carrying it, you don't have to carry it alone. Reach out — I'd be honored to walk with you through it.
Women's Therapy
5 Books That Changed How I Practice Therapy
Over nearly 20 years as a therapist, certain books have been more than reading — they've been companions and quiet teachers. Here are five that reshaped how I show up for my clients.
1. "Don't Believe Everything You Think" by Joseph Nguyen. Most of our pain doesn't come from what happens to us, but from the stories we tell ourselves about it. Our thoughts feel like facts, but they're often just old patterns on repeat. Peace isn't something you chase — it's already underneath the noise.
2. "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents" by Lindsay Gibson. This gave words to a quiet loneliness so many clients carry. There's freedom in seeing your parents clearly — in stopping the wait for them to become who you needed, and starting to give yourself what you missed. That's coming home to who you really are.
3. "The Let Them Theory" by Mel Robbins. As a recovering people-pleaser, this put words to a practice I'd circled for years. "Let them" — that's their business. "Let me" — that's where your power lives. Boundaries aren't about controlling others; they're about deciding what you allow in your own life.
4. "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. You don't need to overhaul your life by Monday. You need small systems, repeated. Every tiny action is a vote for the person you're becoming. Healing works the same way — not in one breakthrough, but in small, honest shifts compounded over time.
5. "The Happiness Trap" by Russ Harris. Fighting your difficult feelings keeps you stuck. Make room for the hard feelings and keep moving toward what matters. A meaningful life isn't pain-free — it's values-led.
If any of these speak to you, I'd love to hear which one resonates — and if you're working through something these ideas touch on, that's what therapy is for. Call me and let's talk.
Online Therapy
Online Therapy in California: Is Virtual Therapy as Good as In-Person?
What the research says, who telehealth suits best, and how to get the most from a video session — from a therapist who offers both across California.
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Questions, answered
Frequently asked questions about therapy in Los Angeles
Do you offer telehealth therapy?
Yes. I offer secure telehealth sessions to clients located anywhere in California.
What issues do you specialize in?
Telehealth counseling, women’s therapy, life transitions, relationship difficulties, communication challenges, stress and work burnout, work–life balance, healing from trauma, self-esteem struggles, parenting struggles, anxiety and depression.
Do you accept insurance?
This is a private-pay practice — I don’t bill insurance directly. Many clients use out-of-network benefits: I provide superbills you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted.
How much does therapy cost?
A standard 50-minute session is $175. Client-requested paperwork (such as insurance inquiries or treatment letters) is billed at the regular session rate, pro-rated in 15-minute intervals. A limited number of reduced-fee spaces are available based on financial need, determined individually during the initial phone consultation.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please give at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations and missed sessions are charged. A credit card is required to reserve your first appointment.
What is your therapeutic approach?
Integrative, drawing from evidence-based modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), positive psychology, solution focused therapy, motivational interviewing and mindfulness techniques — tailored to your unique needs and goals, with a personalized plan we build together.
How long are sessions, and how do I start?
Sessions run 50–60 minutes, usually weekly at first. Getting started is easy: call (562) 383-7088, email Contact@sharenhzadeh.com, or send the contact form below, and we’ll schedule a first consultation.
If you are in crisis: please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24/7 in the US) or call 911. Therapy is powerful support, but it is not an emergency service — you deserve immediate help, and it’s there.
How it works
Getting started is simpler than you think
Book a free consultation
Call (562) 383-7088 or send the short form below. We’ll have a brief, no-pressure conversation about what’s bringing you in.
Find a time that fits
Together we’ll choose a session time that fits your real life — and how often we meet is always a decision we make together.
Begin
Meet online by secure video from anywhere in California — and start building the change you came for.
Good to know
Fees
Clear, published pricing — no surprises. This is a private-pay practice; superbills are provided so you can seek out-of-network reimbursement from your insurer. Questions? Call (562) 383-7088 before your first session and we’ll walk through it together.
Session fee
$175 per standard 50-minute session
Client-requested paperwork — such as insurance inquiries or letters regarding your treatment — is billed at the regular session rate, pro-rated in 15-minute intervals.
Reduced-fee spaces: a limited number are available based on financial need, determined individually during the initial phone consultation.
Cancellations & reserving your session
Please give at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule. Late cancellations and missed sessions are charged.
A credit card is required to reserve your first appointment.
Private pay & superbills
This is a private-pay practice — I don’t bill insurance directly. Many clients use their out-of-network benefits: I provide superbills (detailed receipts) you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are welcome.
Not sure about your out-of-network coverage? Call before your first session and we’ll figure it out together.
Careers
Join our future team
This practice is growing — and as more clients find their way here, I’ll be bringing fellow therapists alongside me. Before I opened my own practice, I spent years managing and supervising clinicians, and I know the kind of team I want to build: therapists who lead with warmth, practice with honesty, and treat the whole person — not just the diagnosis.
If that sounds like you, I’d love to hear from you. I’m especially glad to hear from:
LMFT — Licensed
LCSW — Licensed
LPCC — Licensed
AMFT — Associate
ASW — Associate
APCC — Associate
How standby works
There are no open positions right now — this is a standing invitation, not a job posting. Send your information, and I’ll review it personally and keep it on file. When the practice grows into a new opening, the therapists on this list are the first people I’ll reach out to.
Begin
Take the first step
Reaching out is a courageous act of self-care. Tell me a little about what’s going on, and I’ll reply personally — usually within one business day. Whether you’re looking for women’s therapy, parenting education or online therapy anywhere in California, this is a safe first step.
Email: Contact@sharenhzadeh.com
Location: Los Angeles, California — online therapy across CA
Fees
$175 for a standard 50-minute session. This is a private-pay practice — superbills provided for out-of-network reimbursement, and FSA/HSA cards accepted. See full fee & cancellation details.
For Sharen to personalize before launch
Directory profiles
Directory profiles — Sharen to confirm/links.
Ask Sharen’s AssistantDemo assistant · answers from this page’s FAQ · not for emergencies (call 988)