Sharon Hale, LMFT
Hi, I’m Sharon!
When I first meet a potential client, one of my priorities is to make it clear that, “I’m not making the therapy up as I go along.” I rely on the wisdom and training of people who are smarter than me to help you heal and reach your goals.
But, if you’d met me in 2011 when I graduated with my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, you might have wondered how they let a high schooler into the counseling program, much less graduate her. I looked young, and I felt very inexperienced and unsure of myself. But I believed the professors and supervisors who told me that I didn’t need to have everything figured out – I just needed to engage with clients using compassion and empathy, and the rest will come later.
And they were right! By 2018, I shifted my focus to working almost exclusively with couples and individuals from a relational perspective and was training extensively in a therapy model (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy) proven to help individuals and couples improve their relationships. In 2021, I was certified in providing EFT therapy by ICEEFT (the International EFT Training Center).
Today, I continue to learn and grow in my skills. I am currently training in Neuroaffective Relational Model, which specializes in treating childhood trauma (the type of trauma that occurs when we are young).
My life is full.
I grew up in Tigard and love living in the Northwest. My husband and I were married in 2008 and are now parents to three energetic boys, a dog, a cat, and nine chickens, all of which like to keep us on our toes. And if you didn’t notice based on the clinic name, my husband Will is also a marriage therapist No, we don’t have a perfect relationship!
At my core, I’m an energetic, adventurous spirit who loves to laugh and appreciate beauty. In 2020, I climbed my first mountain with a friend (Desolation Peak in Washington), which gave me mountain-climbing fever! To date I’ve climbed Mount St. Helens three times, South Sister, and Mt. Adams, and I’m always dreaming of my next hike.
I love spending time with my family: Reading, cooking, biking, and being in any place where I can allow my boys to spend some energy with a minimum limit set by me.
Here is me and my husband Will on top of Mt Adams in 2022:
Training and Experience:
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Oregon #T1178
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, George Fox University, Tigard, OR, 2011
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, 2009
OBLPCT Approved Supervisor
Completed Level 2 Training in NeuroAffective Relational Model – 11/2023
Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist and Supervisor-in-Training through ICEEFT
Completed 30-hour supervision course through AAMFT
Completed Phase 1 Brainspotting Training
Completed Level 1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Completed Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) training
Board President for PCEFT since 2021