Sharon R. Hunsaker, MA

My son, when he was 12, suffered from some pretty severe anxiety. Once it started he'd become physically sick, body tremors, vomiting and diarrhea. It was so bad that it was limiting his ability to enjoy things such as camping or staying away from home.

It took Sharon about 6 months or so to teach my son what to do to take control of his own mind. It truly was a blessing. The resident psychologist prescribed him medication to help him, which was only used temporarily until Sharon had the chance to get him turned around. He did not want to be one on one with her, not once, but Sharon accommodated his request and allowed me to be present every week for his sessions. The last couple visits, when she knew he'd got to a point where he could handle being pushed to independence/ not needing me present to feel balanced, she pushed him to come alone and leave me out in the waiting room. This was tough for him, but it was exactly what he needed to do at exactly the right time. After those last couple visits alone with Sharon she felt he was on a great path and had for the most part overcome the hurdles that had been holding him back and making him sick.

Now, at 15 years old, he has the skills to overcome his fears that I didn't know how to teach him. Sharon set him on a path to become an independant thinker capable of understanding life differently. It's amazing that here we are 3 years later and the emotional tools she taught him are still being used regularly. I'm so grateful she was assigned to my son.

Because we started early, he now has a positive opinion about counseling and knows it truly does help thanks to his experience with Sharon. It changed his young life, greatest of all It changed his future!

Sharon's gift is a blessing. Understanding people, knowing how the mind works mixed with their past experiences and teaching people how to overcome their struggles and learn better ways to handle life is what she does! You'd be silly not to seek help when you reach a place where everything you've tried has failed. She is kind, funny, gentle yet direct. To me she felt like a caring member of my family who only wanted to listen and teach. Exactly how a counselor should always be.