Carolyn Sharp, LICSW | Relationship Expert |

Meet Carolyn Sharp

Leading Expert in Relationships, PACT Therapist, Speaker & Author

For Carolyn Sharp, few things are more powerful than helping people transform their relationships. As an experienced PACT therapist, international speaker, and author, Carolyn specializes in guiding people to deepen connection, improve communication, and break free from destructive cycles.

With over 30 years of leadership in the field of relationships and psychology, Carolyn brings expert insight, engaging storytelling, and a direct yet playful approach to every conversation. Her work focuses on how early attachment patterns shape relationships, how couples can rewire connection through practical strategies, and how individuals can build stronger, healthier partnerships in both love and business.

Carolyn’s expertise has made her a sought-after speaker, podcast guest, and media contributor on topics like:

🎤 The Science of Lasting Love – How couples can strengthen trust, intimacy, and resilience
🎤 Bold Choices, Strong Connections – The key to thriving relationships in love, business, and life
🎤 The Fire It Up Marriage Accelerator – What makes relationships thrive and how to get unstuck
🎤 Attachment & Communication – How childhood patterns impact adult relationships (and how to change them)
🎤 The Power of Play in Relationships – Why humor, lightness, and fun make love last

With a warm, engaging, and deeply knowledgeable style, Carolyn makes complex psychological concepts accessible, relatable, and actionable. Whether speaking on stage, in interviews, or in print, she brings real-world expertise and a passion for helping people create the best relationships possible.

Looking for a dynamic guest, expert source, or engaging speaker for your next show, article, or event? Carolyn Sharp delivers insights that inspire, educate, and transform.

"I marvel at the ways our brains wire together to create this incredible dance between our nervous systems. Watching couples learn to do so positively is one of the most satisfying experiences of my professional life.”

~ Carolyn Sharp

PROFESSIONAL WORK

For over 30 years, Carolyn Sharp has been a leader in couples therapy, leadership, and human connection. An experienced PACT therapist, international speaker, and author, she helps individuals and couples break old patterns, deepen connection, and build relationships that thrive.

Carolyn’s passion for helping others began early. Growing up in challenging circumstances, she turned her personal pain into purpose, dedicating herself to supporting children and families affected by addiction, bullying, and loneliness. From mentoring young girls and working in homelessness prevention to conducting mental health research, her early career was built on a commitment to creating meaningful change.

She began her professional journey as a Child & Family Therapist at the YMCA in Seattle, working with some of the most emotionally impacted children in the state, specializing in trauma, attachment disorders, and family healing. She later became Clinical Director of Mental Health Programs, supervising therapists across the YMCA while also serving as a faculty member at the Washington School for Professional Psychology.

In 2005, Carolyn opened her private practice, quickly gaining a reputation for her work with complex family dynamics and high-conflict relationships. Her focus soon expanded to couples therapy, where she found her calling in helping partners transform their relationships through real-time interventions based on attachment and neurobiology. Trained extensively under Dr. Stan Tatkin, the founder of PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy), Carolyn now focuses almost exclusively on helping couples build strong, secure, and lasting connections.

Author of Fire It Up

Carolyn is the author of Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationship, a highly praised guide to creating lasting, meaningful relationships.

🔥 “Carolyn Sharp makes the science of relationships accessible, practical, and even fun.”
🔥 “A must-read for anyone looking to bring more connection and joy into their relationship.”
🔥 “Insightful, compassionate, and filled with real-world strategies that actually work.”

Retreats, Speaking & Thought Leadership

Carolyn’s expertise extends beyond the therapy room. She has assisted at PACT couples retreats and now leads her own intensive couples retreats, including international retreats in Italy, where couples experience profound, lasting change in immersive settings.

She is a highly sought-after speaker, presenting at major events such as The New York Times, international summits for therapists, and leadership conferences. Carolyn also delivers keynote speeches for women’s empowerment, fundraising events, and corporate team-building retreats, blending expertise, humor, and real-world strategies to inspire audiences to create stronger, more fulfilling relationships in all areas of life.

Featured Podcast Appearances

Carolyn has been featured on numerous podcasts, sharing her expertise in relationships, communication, and personal growth:

🎙 Orgasmic Relationships – Relationship Burnout & Reigniting Passion
🎙 Change Your Attitude… Change Your Life (CYACYL) – Healing Relationships & Deepening Connection
🎙 Igniting the Spark – The Science of Lasting Love

A Personal Approach

Carolyn brings a direct, strategic, and deeply engaging style to her work. Known for finding humor in life’s challenges, she blends warmth and wisdom to make deep emotional work approachable, effective, and transformational.

She also brings personal experience to her practice. Having navigated divorce, blending families, and raising four teenagers, Carolyn understands firsthand the challenges of maintaining love, connection, and partnership through life’s complexities.

Her work is driven by a deep belief: relationships don’t just happen—they are built, nurtured, and strengthened with intention. Through therapy, coaching, retreats, and public speaking, she helps people create the most fulfilling, resilient, and deeply connected relationships possible.