Sharleen Nwakwesi , LCSW

Sharleen Nwakwesi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 28 years of professional experience helping individuals and families navigate emotional, medical, and life transitions. Her practice centers on a client-focused, solutions-oriented approach that emphasizes respect, trust, and collaboration. Clients are invited to build on existing strengths and identify practical goals that support meaningful change in daily life.

Sharleen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Social Work, and a Master of Social Work from the Universities of Toronto and York. As an LCSW - a licensed mental health professional trained in clinical social work - she has worked across a range of settings with people coping with acute and chronic medical conditions, acquired brain injury, dementia and other cognitive disorders, caregiving stress, and age-related concerns. She also supports people experiencing grief, depression, anxiety, stress, trauma and abuse, relationship and family difficulties, anger, attention challenges, bipolar disorder, career concerns, and compassion fatigue.

Grounded in collaborative principles, Sharleen helps clients weigh choices and develop coping strategies that fit their circumstances. Her work often addresses adjustment to illness and disability, bereavement, and behavioral concerns, with attention to both individual and family needs. A quote from Theodore Roosevelt - "Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are" - reflects her pragmatic and strengths-based orientation to care.

Approaches Used Remotely and What They Offer

Sharleen draws on client-centered therapy to create a respectful, empathetic space where individuals set the pace and topics of work. This approach focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person and is useful for people facing grief, adjustment to illness, caregiver strain, relationship concerns, or general life transitions.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors. CBT can be effective for managing anxiety, depression, stress, and certain behavioral symptoms by teaching practical skills that can be applied between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaborative process. Through conversation and assessment, a therapist and client work together to determine which methods and goals fit the client’s needs, goals, and preferences, and they adjust the plan over time as progress and circumstances evolve.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, mobility limitations, and geographic convenience. These formats make it easier for people to access licensed professionals and maintain continuity of care while balancing work, caregiving, and other responsibilities.