Mary Sharkmore – I Began My Journey To Becoming A Therapist Early In Life
Helping people and caring for others has always been a huge part of who I am as a person. In my youth, I worked at an animal shelter helping strays and abandoned pets heal and find new homes. Later, in college, I volunteered at a women’s shelter, providing support and comfort to those who had been harmed by domestic abuse.
It was only natural that I would choose a career helping others.
However, my journey to become a therapist wasn’t exactly linear. Early on, I spent a lot of time trying to find myself and identify the best way to help people on a large scale. So I went into biomedical engineering as an undergraduate, dreaming of curing diseases and developing life-saving technologies.
After graduation, I got a job in my hometown of Charlottesville, VA, doing exactly what I wanted to do. The pay was great. The sense of purpose was real. But something never felt right. After a few years, I realized that my lack of satisfaction came from being unable to see the results of my work—and that’s what had initially driven me into the medical field.
So I decided I needed to do something different and discovered that therapy was the perfect avenue connecting me to where I wanted to be.
My Area Of Expertise And Why I Chose It
I treat a wide range of individuals presenting a broad spectrum of mental health issues and personal challenges. My goal is to help my clients regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, or relationship status.
I work with people suffering from anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, as well as grief and loss. However, my specialty is treating trauma and PTSD—particularly using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, a relatively brief and non-invasive form of therapy that utilizes bilateral stimulation (rapid eye movements, alternating sounds, etc.) to activate the brain’s natural self-healing capacity.
The reason I specialize in EMDR treatment is the same reason I finally decided to pursue becoming a therapist.
Some years ago, a dear friend of mine was in a bad car accident caused by a drunk driver. The physical scars eventually healed, but he became a different person. He wouldn’t drive anymore and had trouble leaving the house. And he always feared the worst and worried about having panic attacks. This went on for years.
One day, I stopped by his house for a visit, but he wasn’t there. His wife said that he had driven to the store to pick up some food. I couldn’t believe it!
When he returned, he told me that even though talk therapy had been helping a little, it wasn’t until he tried EMDR that things really changed. In a relatively short time, his nightmares, panic attacks, and negative thoughts started to melt away. His memories of the accident were no longer painful. The fear of driving faded. And he had hope and fire in him again.
Watching my friend rise from the ashes of his past and begin living again was enough for me to want to become a therapist. The same year, I left my job and began my journey toward healing others through therapy—and I have never looked back!
How I Approach Therapy
I believe that every individual is unique—with their own set of unique needs, concerns, and goals for life. That’s why I customize a treatment plan for each client, using a solution-focused, person-centered approach to therapy that takes into account all aspects of their life experience.
Aside from EMDR therapy, which is particularly effective for treating trauma and PTSD, I also draw from a wide range of both holistic and empirically driven therapeutic models to create a comprehensive healing strategy for all of my clients. Interventions, such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) provide a foundation for addressing self-defeating negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Psychodynamic talk therapy helps clients express and fully experience the full spectrum of their emotions. And it can also be used in preparation for EMDR therapy.
What Makes Me And My Practice Unique
I chose this path because it spoke so clearly to me on so many levels. In a way, I feel like healing is a divine endeavor, one that truly makes the world a better place one single person at a time. And though I’m not creating life-saving technology for the masses, being a therapist is far more rewarding. I get to see—with my own eyes—people truly heal and grow and transform their lives into something they never thought possible.
I believe it is that inherent passion—the love for all things nurturing and restorative—what makes me unique.
I love what I do, and I know it shines through in how I connect and commune with my clients and their pain. Whatever you are going through, I want to be there for you because I know that with my support, you can change your life for the better. You deserve to feel safe, loved, and capable. And I would be honored to help you realize your potential for achieving these things.
What I Am Like Outside Of The Office
Although I enjoy hiking, being outside, and curating the soil for my garden, I’ll be truthful: I’m a full-blown Trekkie, so I can lose a few hours in front of the TV. I also enjoy practicing the guitar, and I am currently an assistant instructor in Kodokan Aikikai Aikido, a peaceful, internal martial art that inevitably informs my relationships with others. And I continue to volunteer at a local women’s shelter where I can do even more good as a therapist now.
However, mostly I love spending time with my wife and two children—and my trouble-making beagle, Ella.
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If you would like to work with me, please call (XXX) XXX-XXXX or use my contact page to schedule a free consultation to find out more.
Mary Sharkmore has a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from VA Tech and a Master’s degree in Psychology from Naropa University. She has completed advanced EMDRIA-approved training in EMDR therapy and is currently on track to become a certified consultant. Mary is also an adjunct professor in psychology at the University of Virginia where she continues to educate the healers of tomorrow.