Sharon Rivkin

If all attempts to resolve your life and relationship issues have failed, Sharon Rivkin is your "last-ditch effort" therapist. She specializes at getting to the root of problems quickly, with tools for immediate change and resolution.

All hope is never lost when it comes to therapy with Sharon. She is a relationship expert, and conflict resolution and affairs specialist, who has helped hundreds of individuals and couples resolve their relationship problems quickly and effectively, without having to drudge up years and years of issues that can take months and years to get through before any progress is made. After over 29 years of counseling experience, Sharon will get to the root of what’s going on, with tools to implement immediate change.

How does she do this? Sharon has developed a groundbreaking and extremely unique theory and system that gets to the root of all relationship issues in three, effective steps. Her First Argument system reveals why you’ve been arguing and fighting about the same issues again and again and why they can't be resolved. With Sharon’s help, one critical piece of information will uncover what’s at the root of you and your partner’s fights so that you’ll finally understand what you’re really fighting about and what all the pain and suffering has been about. Then with individually designed tools, couples can learn how to communicate more effectively so that future arguments are resolved quickly, and love, understanding, and respect are restored within the relationship.

Sharon’s highly effective First Argument system is outlined in her book, BREAKING THE ARGUMENT CYCLE: How to Stop Fighting Without Therapy, and her work has been featured in O: The Oprah Magazine in the United States and South Africa, and Reader’s Digest. Sharon appears regularly on radio and has appeared on Martha Stewart Whole Living Radio, discussing relationship topics ranging from argument resolution to affair-proofing a marriage.

An experienced public speaker, Sharon has led workshops on women in mid-life, facilitating women with specific mid-life issues such as self-esteem, health, body image, relationships, career, and the aging process. She has also conducted psychotherapy groups through her private practice, emphasizing communication skills and self-awareness for individuals and couples. And currently, Sharon leads continuing education workshops on her First Argument system, helping students understand why they’re fighting about the wrong things and how to structure a marital game plan to resolve their arguments, with communication tools and strategies designed to strengthen any relationship.

Sharon works with individuals and couples in the areas of:

• Conflict Resolution
• Effective Communication that Makes Changes
• Cheating
• Premarital Counseling
• Separation and Divorce
• Restoring Love and Trust in Relationships
• Blended Family Issues
• Stress
• Self-Worth
• Identity Issues & Re-evaluation of Purpose
• Trauma Resolution
• Career Change / Major Life Transitions

Sharon received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Boston University and a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Sonoma State University in Cotati, Califo ia. She was also director of the Learning Skills Program at Santa Rosa Junior College, in Santa Rosa, Califo ia, a program that served learning disabled and head-injured adults. Under her directorship, Sharon created a highly acclaimed specialized counseling class for parents of the adult students. Sharon was also an advisor to the staff in matters relating to program development, treatment planning, and in-service training. She taught classes in Diagnostic Testing, Study Skills, Reading, Writing, Interpersonal Counseling, and Guidance; and developed curriculum for Interpersonal Counseling and Guidance classes. Sharon also served as community liaison with county agencies serving adolescents and adults, and helped develop intake manual and procedures for treatment review and was instrumental in designing an internship training program.

Sharon provides services to clients throughout the San Francisco area. For clients elsewhere, Sharon provides therapy via internet, phone, or Skype.

Sharon has been in private practice for over 29 years, and specializes in individual, couples, and family therapy. She is married to Michael Howard and is the mother of two grown daughters, Talia and Tashina Kilburn.

Change tomorrow by changing today! Contact Sharon, your “last-ditch effort” therapist.