Sharon L. Smith, M.A., is a Resident Counselor who provides counseling services to individuals, couples, and families from a compassionate, spiritually grounded, and relationally focused perspective. She is passionate about helping clients navigate emotional, relational, and spiritual challenges while fostering healthy growth and lasting change. Sharon believes that healthy individuals build healthy families, and healthy families strengthen entire communities. She utilizes evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the Gottman Method, SYMBIS, solution-focused interventions, and client-centered, strengths-based techniques. Her goal is to create a safe, culturally responsive environment where clients feel genuinely seen, supported, and empowered to move toward healing, resilience, and healthier relationships. Sharon earned her Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Psychology from Norfolk State University in 2023 and completed her Master of Arts in Marriage, Family, and Couples Therapy at Regent University in 2026. Her clinical training includes serving as a Counseling Intern with Catholic Charities of Southeastern Virginia and The Marriage Center in Virginia Beach, where she worked with individuals, couples, and families facing a variety of relational, emotional, and spiritual concerns. Drawing from both her academic training and extensive experience in ministry leadership and community service, Sharon brings a holistic perspective to the counseling process that integrates emotional wellness, relationship health, and personal growth. Sharon and her husband have been married since 1995 and have built a life centered on faith, service, and strengthening communities. Together, they are co-founders of the Hayah RISSE Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing hope, opportunity, and support to underprivileged children in Ghana, Africa. Through their work, they seek to help children flourish spiritually, emotionally, and academically while reflecting their shared belief that every person possesses inherent worth, dignity, and the capacity to thrive.