When insight alone stopped cutting it, this founder built something different, with a body, a brain, and real change in mind.
*No shame in your sound bath game. No hate for Bali retreats. We just do things a little more clinical (& a lot less Instagrammable).
Featured, Verified, and Definitely Not a Wellness Influencer
Featured, Verified, and Definitely Not a Wellness Influencer
By a Human Who Studies Humans
Abraham Sharkas is a therapist, PhD student, researcher, and a full time nerd who somehow turned “nervous system literacy” into a career path. He works where psychology, movement, story, and culture overlap, because mental health is never just mental and talking is only one part of how people change.
His approach blends clinical rigor with trauma informed care, somatic depth, and a grounded respect for science, narrative, and lived experience. His work draws from evidence informed frameworks shaped by positive psychology, psychosomatic work, transpersonal research, and contemplative traditions understood in their real world, non mystical forms.
His influences include philosophy, movement, cultural identity, and a lifelong curiosity about what actually helps people remember who they are. He has also published four books of poetry and is somehow writing more, which is either admirable or slightly concerning depending on the day.
No crystals. No shortcuts. No theatrics.
Just care that honors your complexity and actually works with it.
Counseling Experience
I’m a therapist at Layers Therapy, offering evidence-based care grounded in culture, complexity, and the body. I work with individuals, couples, and groups using an integrative approach rooted in inclusivity and nervous system awareness.
I draw from Positive Psychology, Gestalt, somatic approaches, CBT, mindfulness, and strength-based models—always tailored to the person, not the protocol.
I hold a B.A. in Psychology from Arizona State University and an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University, where I’m now completing my Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision. My training also includes advanced Applied Positive Psychology coursework and psychedelic integration/harm-reduction training through Fluence.
Outside the therapy room, I stay connected to movement through Capoeira, extensive training in strength and conditioning coaching, and workshops exploring how the body expresses emotion, memory, and meaning. I also study contemplative traditions, from Tibetan Buddhist perspectives to Sufism, approached with curiosity, not ceremony.
At the core of my work is a simple belief: effective care should be inclusive, embodied, culturally aware, and grounded in what truly helps people move.
Teaching Philosophy
As a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision, my work extends beyond the classroom into mentorship, training, and ongoing professional development. My teaching philosophy is straightforward: learning should be inclusive, embodied, culturally aware, and rigorous enough to shape clinicians who can handle real complexity—not just pass exams.
I support emerging counselors in developing the skills that matter most in the room: presence, critical thinking, cultural humility, and the ability to work with the mind and body together. Whether we’re unpacking theory, practicing core skills, or examining lived experience, I emphasize curiosity over certainty and depth over performance.
My approach is collaborative and integrative, drawing from neuroscience, somatics, multicultural frameworks, and transpersonal theories—not for prestige, but because contemporary mental health care requires range, nuance, and adaptability.
I focus on helping future and current clinicians grow into thoughtful, competent, and grounded practitioners who can meet people with presence rather than performance. And as a researcher, I invite students and colleagues into the work whenever possible, because developing as a clinician is a shared, lifelong craft—not something you master alone.
Advocacy & Leadership
For over two years, I served as Acting President-Elect of Bab Al Ilm, a nonprofit dedicated to community, culture, and storytelling that invites real conversation. Our work included gatherings, workshops, and creative spaces that brought together everyone from spiritual seekers to social changemakers.
Our aim was simple: create bridges instead of echo chambers. We prioritized spaces where diverse voices could speak and be heard—LGBTQIA+ communities, BIPOC communities, immigrants, interfaith groups, and anyone who rarely feels at home in traditional dialogue.
Leadership, for me, isn’t about titles or volume. It’s grounded in listening well, showing up consistently, and helping people feel seen. That’s the approach I brought to Bab Al Ilm, and it’s the same approach I carry into my clinical, academic, and community work today.
Got thoughts? Projects? A rant about wellness culture?
Let’s talk: Hello@wdml.xyz.
I love connecting with people who care about psychology, culture, and being human in real ways.
*No crystal consultations or moon-sign readings. Also not currently accepting applications for spirit animal readings or crypto therapy startups (lol.)