Find Counseling
> Sharon M. Barnes, M.S.W., Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Lakewood, Littleton, and Englewood, Colorado
 |
> |
Sharon M. Barnes, M.S.W.Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)Sharon Barnes helps right-brain people thrive in a left-brain world. Her specialty is helping creative, sensitive, or gifted people heal, thrive and realize their dreams. |
 |
||
Overview
Sharon M. Barnes, MSSW, LCSW has a Bachelors of Science in Social Work Degree from Loma Linda University and a Masters of Science in Social Work Degree from San Diego State University.She has been helping people cope creatively with change, loss and life transitions for over 25 years. Her experience includes helping people cope with many kinds of health issues, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and with post-partum reactions, ADD & AD/HD, being creative, sensitive or gifted (or all three). She also has experience helping people with relationship concerns, school or work concerns, stress management/life balance concerns, parenting issues, post-trauma work, and life transitions.
Mrs. Barnes is a leader in her field. She is a past board member of the Colorado Society for Clinical Social Work, Denver Chapter. She was a founding member and is a past board member of the Eating Disorders Professionals of Colorado. Sharon has been a repeat guest lecturer for the University of Colorado at Denver Graduate Counselor Training Program, and the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She has been in private practice as a counselor/psychotherapist since 1994. She gives presentations, and facilitates workshops and retreats on a variety of topics, including, "Life's a Cruise (& Then You Dock): How to Live the Life You've Dreamed by Treating it Like a Short, Exotic Vacation;" "Angel in the Hourglass: How to Renew Your Life (Even if All You Have is Scraps)"; and "Foggy Days & Groggy Nights; How to Heal Your Life While Facing Adversity."
She is the author and presenter of the Work-Life Balance Audio Seminar: "Life’s a Bicycle: How to Balance Your Life Like You Balance a Bike.”
She developed a new type of women’s counseling group, “The Quilter’s Journey” that turns Creative Handwork into Contemplative Handwork™," and combines it with talk therapy. This group has been featured in “Colorado Parent Magazine” and “Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine”.
Sharon M. Barnes sees patients at the following location(s):
Lakewood, Colorado
Academy of Creative Living3500 S. Wadsworth Blvd
Lakewood, Colorado 80235-2007
Phone: (303) 987-0346
Fax: (303) 989-0099
E-mail this therapist
Web: http://www.AcademyofCreativeLiving.com/
Littleton, Colorado
Sharon M. Barnes, MSSW, LCSW6673 W Chatfield Ave
Littleton, Colorado 80128
Phone: (303) 987-0346
Fax: (303) 989-0099
Englewood, Colorado
Sharon M. Barnes, MSSW, LCSW701 E Hampden Ave
Englewood, Colorado 80113
Phone: (303) 987-0346
Fax: (303) 989-0099
Personal Statement
I'm The Scrap Lady. I help people create beauty & benefit from Life's Scraps. My gentle, powerful tools, tips and training will help you heal, thrive and realize your dreams.Many people who are creative, highly sensitive, gifted and talented or who have ADD or AD/HD find that they are right-brain dominant and may have difficulty coping with the left-brain culture that we live in. They may feel like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer living in the Land of MisFit Toys--all year 'round. In the story, it was Rudolph's red nose that got him banished. It was also his nose that helped him save the day for everyone. Likewise, the very differences that cause trouble for creative, sensitive people contain their Creative Genius, and are what will help them save their world today and tomorrow. These same Creative, Sensitive People have unique needs and ways of healing when they face adversity, illness, loss, tragedy--and find that having someone who understands their uniqueness to guide and support them is essential.
It can be difficult for anyone to think about seeing a counselor, especially for a creative, sensitive person. You may wonder if you shouldn't be able to solve your own problems. You may question if your problem is too small to bother [someone else] with. Or if it is too big--is there help or hope for it? Or you? You may feel embarrassed. You may wonder what happens in counseling, or how to know if counseling will help you and not hurt you. I'd like to share some ideas I have about these things.
I've found that people generally do try to solve their problems in all the ways they know, and when we've exhausted those resources, we think about counseling. Or, sometimes we seek counseling because our situation is one that we don't want to share with any of the people we would normally turn to for support. When we overcome the stigma and our own reluctance to get help, we usually experience a sense of relief and comfort in the simple act of sharing our dilemmas with a caring, unbiased listener.
I've also found that counseling is something like a trek through the wilderness; only the territory we explore is Inner Territory, and I'm like a Guide through it. I'm here to walk alongside, and to give options, information, gentle guidance, support, and to help you find your own way through it. I help you gather the tools you need for the trip, and learn how to use them. I help you pick yourself up when you stumble, fall or get back on track when you feel like you're lost.
My experience is that there are several things people need to have a safe, successful trip:
* Protection - a safe place to bring their concerns and feelings.
* Permission - to feel, to think, to do, to (really) see and hear, to be who they are meant to be, not who others want them to be, and to discover who that is.
* Power - support to face hard things, while they gather and learn to activate their own strength.
* Possibilities - options when they were afraid there were none.
* Pathways - they discover what pathways they have been on, and sometimes for the first time in their lives, become able to make conscious choices about where (and how)they want to go.
Here's something else I've found: Most people feel better after counseling than before, according to research by Consumer Reports. In fact, people who feel the best about it are those who stay in it for at least six months. Other research has shown that people with major depression who are in counseling and take medication tend to get better and stay better; while those who just take medication alone have more relapses.
What can assure you of a good outcome in counseling? There's several things to consider. One is your hope or belief that it will help. Another significant factor is timing--how ready are you to take this trip, and to make changes in your life? The most crucial consideration is usually the relationship between you and your therapist. It's important to find someone you feel you can connect with, and have confidence in.
And how do you find such a person? You may want to consider location, accessability, specialty, and cost. Even more than that, you'll want to check out compatibility of values, styles of working, and especially a sense of trust and comfort. It may take a few emails or phone calls, and meeting with one or more counselors to find someone you feel you can partner with.
When you find the right person for you, and begin working with them, you'll discover that you will understand and accept yourself and others better, and your relationships will become better. You'll find ways to turn tragedy into triumph; to heal your past and transform your pain. You'll make changes that improve your life. You'll FEEL and BE more in charge of your life. You'll find that it was worth the risk and the effort, and you'll be glad you stepped out to get help when you needed it.
Please call (or email) me Today, for a New Tomorrow!