Mark Sharp (he/him/his)

I've been helping couples improve the quality of their relationships throughout my career. I'm curious and love to learn, so constantly work to expand my knowledge and develop new skills and techniques to improve relationships. Many psychologists focus on what is wrong inside of people and frame relationship problems in that way. While it is important to manage your feelings and thoughts, relationship problems are more about what happens between people than because of problems within people. We will start with a picture of how each of you understands and experiences the problems in the relationship. This helps me understand you and we do it in a way that helps you understand each other more fully. We'll talk about communication patterns and I will help you develop skills and practices that increase intimacy and help you avoid blowing up in anger. Sometimes one partner refuses to join counseling. We an make progress in that situation as well, though it isn't as efficient.

I believe we are all good at our core and it is our attempts to avoid being hurt that creates most of our problems in relationships - and in other parts of life. I was late to marriage, getting married when in my 40s, so understand the loneliness of being single and appreciate how much a relationship can enrich your life. I grew up overseas with missionary parents, so have unique understanding of differences in cultures and religious and spiritual practice. I don't practice a formal religion now, though my life has been influenced by Christian and Buddhist teachings. I have seen positive and negative from religious practice, but have a healthy respect for the positive it can bring to lives. I have practiced the martial art of aikido for thirty years and have a third degree black belt and a teaching authorization in my organization. I run the children's classes at my dojo. My wife and I love to travel and eat good food, and I am totally smitten by my two dogs.