01 · Who Sharlene works with

Sharlene works with trauma and abuse, anger management and self esteem

Sharlene lists 12 specialisms and 17 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Sharlene chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Sharlene's own words

What Sharlene says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Sharlene K Duplessis is a Clinical Social Worker Specialist in Connecticut. She graduated with honors in 2010. She has 15 years of diverse experiences, especially in CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER (LCSW). In those 15 years of service to the community; I have worked with families, children and adults who struggle with trauma in several different capacities; but mainly in an outpatient setting. . A trauma/client centered approach is used when working with clients. This includes the use of skills learned while working in treatments modalities which include but are not limited to DBT , CBT, MI and EMDR. Client centred is at the heard of working with Sharlene as she steadfastly beialves in meeting clients where they are in their journey of healing and processing. She also assists client in realizing the own their self-worth and potential, increasing flexibility when faced with difficult situations as well as acknowledging the presence of perseverance even in the small wins. She believes that healing is a journey and not a destination; taking it on day at time improves not only the outcome but encourages a growth mindset in those she works with.

Sharlene Duplessis, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Sharlene works

The 6 approaches Sharlene lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Sharlene lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Sharlene's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Sharlene runs a session.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Sharlene practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Sharlene's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Sharlene at this point.

2. Naming Sharlene specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Sharlene is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Sharlene.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Sharlene

Built from what Sharlene actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Sharlene's - Sharlene has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 16 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Connecticut

Licence

CT LCSW 10424

Licence number

10424

Licence expires

31 Aug 2027

NPI

1689942534

Years in practice

16

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Sharlene's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Sharlene. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.