Sharmika Miles

Qualifications & Experience

I have been working professionally in the field of mental health for over 10 years. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, attained at Louisiana State University of Shreveport. With continued interest in pursuing higher education, I was led to obtain my Master of Social Work (MSW) from Louisiana State University of Baton Rouge. I am also trained in Substance Abuse and hold a Certified Substance Abuse Practitioner (CSAP) certification with a focus on abstaining from the use of all substances.

My Call to Christian Counseling

Initially I thought I wanted to be a pediatrician. I started pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology but soon realized I did not like the sight of blood. I left the classroom and told God, “Lord, I am going to change my major, but I don’t know what I would change it to.” The Holy Spirit led me to pursue a career as in counseling. I now find great joy and purpose empowering and encouraging others to boldly live in their full potential, no matter what their past may have been.

More About Me / On a Personal Note

I have a big heart and a bubbly personality. I love to laugh. My name actually spells Smiles (S. Miles). I love praying! I love going for long walks in the park, traveling, watching random views, empowering and encouraging others, and spending time with family and friends.

Areas of Expertise / Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• ADHD
• Anger Management
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• Budgeting
• Chemical Dependency
• Coping Skills
• Counseling for Children
• Counseling for Teens
• Codependency
• Depression
• Father Issues
• Forgiveness
• Grief and Loss
• Individual Counseling
• Infidelity and Affairs
• Mother Issues
• Men’s Issues
• Online Counseling
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Psychiatric Care Services
• Rejection
• Relationship Issues
• Self-Esteem
• Self-Forgiveness
• Sex and Porn Addiction
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma
• Weight Loss
• Women’s Issues

Abandonment and Neglect

Feeling distant from others, though people are present, could be rooted in traumatic childhood experiences and unmet expectations. Operating from a place of abandonment and neglect due to unresolved childhood trauma could lead you to missing out on beautiful, peaceful, and positive experiences. My aim is to help you dissect the root of your earliest experience of not feeling safe, loved, wanted, and accepted. With compassion, we will dive into the unwanted thoughts, fear of loneliness, people-pleasing tendencies, low self-confidence, and negative self-talk from past and present fragmented experiences and learn how to restore a sense of wholeness and healing in God’s presence and love.

Anxiety

While anxiety can make you feel rushed and anxious when things and situations are out of your control, it can also cause you to become stagnant and to operate from a place of fear. In most cases, we often think of “what if” from a negative perspective. You can become bound in your mind when you are not in control and thinking that the circumstance or situation will not end well due to your hand not leading it. My aim is to help you to identify the root cause of your anxious thoughts and overthinking. Together, we will analyze your thoughts, identify unhealthy thought patterns, and incorporate a new perspective to assist with reducing anxiety.

Coping Skills

When life happens, we often run to what we know for comfort. Whether it be substance use, food, overspending, anger outbursts, codependency, overthinking, etc., we normally fall prey to negative ways of coping with life stressors. My aim is to help you identify positive ways to respond to life stressors. We will dissect negative comfort zones, along with your warning signs and triggers which lead to responding negatively to situations without a prosperous ending. I will help you to identify positive coping skills to respond to any level of life stressors, along with learning to apply the identified positive coping skills to move forward victoriously in any situation.

Depression

Depression can be daunting. It can cause you to see yourself from a broken perspective. For example, you may feel lonely, weary, or unwanted, or feel like you are a burden to your support system. In our sessions, from a biblical perspective, we will walk through your signs and symptoms of depression without judgment. We will take steps toward shifting the perspective from depleted and defeated to deeply loved and wanted. My aim is to help you regain a new perspective of hope, love, peace, tenacity, empowerment, encouragement, and a profound drive to live in the purpose you were created to fulfill.

Self-Esteem

Life stressors can sometimes cause you to lose self-confidence and self-worth, which can often result in low self-esteem. However, you are fearfully and wonderfully made no matter what circumstances you are currently facing, have faced in the past, or will face in the future. Whether your low self-esteem came from the projection of father and/or mother issues throughout your life, substance use, bullying, peer pressure, lack of understanding of identity in Christ, or negative words from others in authority, let me help you to rebuild your self-confidence and self-worth so you can know your value and walk boldly in your identity in Christ!

Availability (by office location):

• Richardson – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
• Online Counseling – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session, the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment, the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out-of-Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals, and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.