I have experience working in community mental health, correctional facilities, residential treatment centers, and the hospital setting. I have a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Criminology from Northern Illinois University, a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Illinois, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. I am a 200 hour certified Yoga teacher and working towards my 500 hour yoga teacher certification and certification in yoga therapy. I live with my partner, two kids, and our cat, Mango. I enjoy reading, crocheting, and gardening.

I am Sharlisa Byrd, LMFT (CA & OR), SEP, TITC-CT, CCHt, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist serving clients in California and Oregon. I am also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and Certified Clinical Traumatologist. I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Palo Alto University and am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Flash Technique. My work focuses on helping individuals heal from trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress, with a deep understanding of how these experiences become held within the body and nervous system. I use a trauma-informed and culturally responsive approach that integrates somatic and mind-body techniques to support emotional regulation, resilience, and lasting healing. I have experience supporting individuals navigating concerns including trauma, anxiety, depression, OCD, parenting challenges, attachment issues, complex relationship dynamics, life transitions for adolescents and young adults, domestic violence recovery, sexual abuse recovery, psychosis, and African American identity concerns. In addition to my clinical practice, I serve as an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco, where I teach multiple graduate-level counseling courses. I have also trained in several trauma-resolution approaches that inform my work with clients, students, and colleagues. My clinical philosophy centers on a bottom-up approach to healing, recognizing that trauma often lives in the body and that healing involves restoring safety, awareness, and balance within the nervous system. I often describe my role as a manufacturer of hope and healing, supporting individuals as they move beyond survival and toward becoming post-traumatic thrivers. On a personal note, I am the mother of six daughters and a grandmother to three and a half granddaughters, experiences that have deepened my understanding of relationships, attachment, and what many refer to as Mother Hunger.

Hello! I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) currently based and practicing in Oregon, though with an active license in California as well. I attended California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) for graduate school and lived in the Bay Area for a decade before moving to Portland, OR shortly before the pandemic. I have over thirteen years of experience as a "generalist" therapist, though I specialize in supporting individuals in the midst of life transitions, including but not limited to: relationship challenges, moves to a new city or state, new or chronic medical diagnoses, career and work problems, spiritual questioning, transitions into the workforce or retirement. I do NOT work with couples at this time. While I consider the psychological theories behind my work, I hold them lightly in the room, believing most fundamentally in the importance of an adaptive, culturally-sensitive, non-judgmental stance with my clients. PLEASE NOTE: your chosen intake appointment time is subject to my final approval based on my shifting availability. I see clients on multiple platforms and am unable to sync all of my calendars in real time. Following the initial appointment, we will find a mutually agreeable meeting time and I will manage the booking on the Grow platform going forward, including rescheduling and cancellations. You will need to message me directly to cancel or reschedule your appointment. I request the courtesy of as much advanced notice as possible. I am not able to work with clients who cancel without 24 hrs advanced notice or no show more than twice.