About Dr. Sherry Helgoe
Psy.D., LMFT, LPCC
Therapist
Author
Pepperdine Professor
Welcome
If your life looks successful from the outside yet still hums with worry at 3 a.m., you’re not alone. You’re exactly the kind of person I work best with.
For twenty-five years, I’ve been the person high-functioning adults and couples call when the inner noise won’t respect the outer achievements.
How I work
I blend what’s already sturdy in you with clear next moves. Sessions stay energizing and concrete, never a meandering tour of the past unless an old story is blocking tomorrow’s step.
Five principles shape everything we do:
- Relational first. Change ignites between people, then settles inside.
- Humanistic. Every person carries an intact core of wisdom, my role is to amplify it.
- Strength-based and solution-focused. Elevate what works., recalibrate what’s stuck.
- Direct, never harsh. You’ll feel seen, not judged and challenged, not cornered.
- Humor welcome. Insight lands faster when the nervous system can breathe and even laugh.
My background
Clinical Practice: Twenty-five years specializing in therapy for women, men, couples, and group therapy.
Teaching: Eighteen years as faculty at Pepperdine University Graduate School of Clinical Psychology, training master’s-level therapists both in-person and via Zoom cohorts nationwide. I teach what I practice, which keeps me sharp and forces me to explain why techniques work, not just use them.
Education & Licenses:
- Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
- Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), California
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), California
Consulting: Limited work with real estate, mortgage, and title companies, translating clinical psychology into team communication and leadership development.
Personal Practice: I’m a member of my own therapy group. I don’t just teach vulnerability and relational work—I practice it. This shapes how I hold space for others.
What makes my work different
- Depth + Momentum. We honor the past and build forward motion from session one.
- Whole-Life Lens. Relationships, career, identity, purpose—nothing exists in a silo.
- Group Therapy Expertise. Facilitating groups means I see relational patterns in individual and couples work that many therapists miss. I’ve watched thousands of interactions unfold in real time. That changes what I notice and how I guide. Lived Integrity. I practice what I teach and keep learning alongside you.
Why people choose to work with me
- You want someone who sees patterns clearly and names them without sugarcoating
- You’re done with surface-level fixes and ready for work that actually shifts things
- You need practical tools, not just insight
- You want a therapist who’s done their own work and continues doing it
- You value directness, humor, and honesty over clinical distance
What Went Well: The Novel
For 25 years I have facilitated and taught group therapy. I know what happens when seven women sit in a circle and decide to share their truths. That’s the story I wrote.
Subscribe to my Substack for weekly insights and early excerpts.
A personal note
There’s a photograph of me standing on a windswept ridge above a Norwegian fjord—hair a mess, boots dusty, face wide open to the sheer expanse. I love this memory, not as a bragging-rights shot, but as a reminder: clarity often arrives after a long, honest climb.
Therapy, at its best, offers that same vantage point. High enough for clarity yet still grounded in everyday life.
Next steps
Let’s talk. Schedule a free 15-minute call to see if we are good fit.
We’ll discuss what’s on your mind and whether my approach matches what you need.