- Person-centered care
- Focus on sleep
- Practical tools
About Shari
Shari Peterson is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Minnesota with two decades of experience in mental health. She has worked in community mental health, school settings, and outpatient treatment, and has provided therapy to individuals for several years. Shari focuses on practical help for everyday problems and sees sleep and rest concerns among the issues she supports.
Her style is warm, authentic, and relational. She draws on a strengths-based, person-centered approach and listens for each person’s priorities. Sessions tend to focus on clear goals and small, doable changes rather than long, abstract plans.
Shari mixes approaches to fit the person in front of her. She uses client-centered listening, cognitive-behavioral ideas to reduce unhelpful thinking and behaviors, motivational interviewing to support change, mindfulness practices for stress and sleep, and elements of the Gottman Method for relationship concerns. She also pays attention to bodily experience when trauma or chronic pain are involved.
People work with her to address stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, substance use, relationship and family problems, eating and body image concerns, and sleep troubles. She also supports those coping with trauma, domestic violence, and co-occurring medical or mental health issues.
Shari aims to help people build safer routines, clearer communication, and better sleep habits. She invites collaboration and focuses on practical steps that fit daily life.
How her approaches shape online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience and priorities. It focuses on listening, understanding, and helping people name what matters most to them, which can help with sleep and rest struggles by identifying unhelpful patterns and preferred routines.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thinking and behavior patterns that keep problems going. For sleep and anxiety this might include changing unhelpful thoughts, building consistent bedtime habits, and practicing brief behavioral experiments to see what works.
Mindfulness Therapy offers simple attention and breathing practices to reduce arousal and improve rest. Short mindfulness exercises can be used between sessions to calm the body and mind and support better sleep over time.
Finding the right approach is part of the work and happens together. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust plans based on what helps. This collaborative process aims to match methods to each person’s needs and preferences.
Confirm the specific online session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow check-ins that are shorter when needed, and let people use techniques at home between meetings. Those practical benefits can help carry therapeutic work into daily life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Minnesota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
Shari works with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, addictions, relationship and family problems, eating and body image concerns, trauma and domestic violence, and sleep issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is warm, relational, and strengths-based. She listens closely and helps set small, practical goals that fit day-to-day life.
What is her background in mental health?
She has 20 years of experience across community mental health, schools, and outpatient treatment, and several years providing individual therapy.
What credentials does she hold and where is she located?
She is a Minnesota Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, listed as MN LICSW, and practices in Minnesota.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what does it cost?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.