Sharmen Rutherford

Helping clients build practical skills and resilience

LPC-MHSP, LPC Alabama

Experience: 16 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English

About Sharmen

Sharmen Rutherford centers her practice on practical, evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral techniques to help people navigate periods of overwhelm and change.

Background and approach

With sixteen years of clinical experience, she blends structured interventions with compassionate listening to address concerns like anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, eating-related issues, grief, and stress. Her work emphasizes building skills that can be used in daily life while also exploring underlying patterns that contribute to repeated struggles.

Rutherford holds LPC-MHSP and LPC credentials and practices from Alabama, drawing on a broad background in substance use and trauma-informed care. She integrates acceptance and mindfulness strategies alongside client-centered and dialectical approaches to support emotional regulation, coping with life transitions, and improving self-esteem.

Those seeking help for relationship difficulties, bipolar mood concerns, ADHD-related challenges, or compassion fatigue may find her approach practical and goal-oriented. Her style aims to combine encouragement with concrete tools so clients can move toward clearer goals and greater resilience.

Rutherford welcomes conversations about therapy goals and collaborates on plans tailored to each person’s circumstances and preferences.

Integrating CBT and Acceptance-Based Techniques in Online Care

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing practical behavior changes to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression; it often involves structured exercises and skill-building that translate well to online sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients clarify personal values and learn to accept difficult internal experiences while committing to value-driven action, which can support coping with grief, chronic stress, and life transitions. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy and collaborative listening, creating space for clients to explore feelings and goals while the therapist reflects and supports their self-directed change.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist will work together with each person to determine whether CBT, ACT, client-centered methods, or a blend best matches their needs, goals, and preferences. This collaborative stance helps tailor interventions and pacing to what a client finds most useful.

Online formats such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging offer flexibility for people balancing other responsibilities or living in different parts of Alabama. These options make it easier to attend regular appointments, practice skills between sessions, and maintain continuity of care when schedules or circumstances change.

Frequently asked questions

What types of concerns does she commonly address?

She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating and food-related concerns, depression, grief, and sleep problems.

What is her general therapeutic style?

Her approach combines cognitive behavioral ideas with client-centered listening, mindfulness, ACT, and DBT strategies to offer practical skills and emotional support.

How long has she been practicing?

The clinician brings 16 years of experience working with substance use, co-occurring disorders, trauma, eating concerns, and related mental health challenges.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is credentialed as LPC-MHSP and LPC with a practice based in Alabama; specific license numbers are TN LPC-MHSP 6766 and AL LPC 4335.

Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?

Sessions are provided in English only and she is not accepting international clients at this time.

Which session formats are available for online work?

She offers a range of remote session formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for different preferences.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Fees vary by location and therapist availability; sessions are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are required to begin therapy?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule an appointment according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions Trauma and abuseEating disordersDepression

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesGriefSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

Attachment issuesBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesControl issuesDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disorders Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

16+ years

Licensed

Alabama, Tennessee

Languages

English