Shari Peterson , LICSW

Shari Peterson is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) practicing in Minnesota with more than 20 years of experience in the mental health field. She has worked across community-based mental health programs, school settings, and outpatient treatment environments, and has provided three years of individual therapy services. Her professional background includes supporting people facing depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, personality disorders, anger concerns, substance use disorders, and ADHD, as well as assisting those who have experienced complex trauma, abuse, and domestic violence.

Her therapeutic stance is strengths-based and relational, characterized by warmth, authenticity, and a person-centered focus. Treatment is tailored to each individual and draws on a blend of client-centered, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, and narrative techniques, together with mindfulness and somatic approaches. Shari emphasizes the client as the expert on their own life and works collaboratively to support recovery, growth, and improved coping. Her practice reflects a commitment to respectful, individualized care informed by decades of experience in varied clinical settings.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Shari Peterson draws on client-centered therapy to create a supportive, collaborative space where the person s perspective and goals guide the work. This approach emphasizes empathy and respect and is useful for a wide range of concerns including relationship and self-esteem issues.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a practical method that helps people identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. CBT can be effective for anxiety, depression, ADHD-related challenges, and many stress-related problems. Additionally, Mindfulness Therapy is incorporated to help clients develop present-moment awareness and coping skills for stress, chronic pain, and emotional regulation.

Determining the best approach is part of the therapeutic process. Shari works collaboratively with each person to choose and adapt methods based on their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting strategies over time as progress is made.

Online therapy modalities - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - offer flexibility for people balancing work, family, or mobility concerns. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and to access licensed professionals from different locations while tailoring session formats to what works best for the individual.