Shar’ron Mason, a 2015 Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) CTS graduate, grew up in Indianapolis surrounded around a large loving and deeply connected family. Her immediate neighborhood consisted of a row of homes including both sets of grandparents, grandmothers that were best friends and even her beautiful great grandmother lived next door. This legacy of family served as an impetus for Shar’ron’s call to ministry. Through seeing the longevity of her grandparents’ 40-year marriage she experienced what a healthy, loving marriage can be. An experience she sought for others to experience. Married for 13 years herself with a daughter, stepdaughter and 3 grandchildren, family has always been core to her soul.
This ministry mantle served as the impetus for Shar’ron to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at CTS. She openly shared that her pathway towards ministry was not a smooth one: “I actually wasn’t initially admitted to the program, which was a surprise to me. Having achieved a great deal in my life, I wasn’t accustomed to receiving such things and it threw me for a loop. I immediately thought ‘excuse me, this can’t be right’.” However, this humbling experience would prove to be a blessing. Determined to pursue her calling, she contacted CTS and moved forward in the interview process. With the opportunity to display the gifting God placed within her, she was ultimately accepted into the program. No barriers would deter Shar’ron from moving forward. Even more deeply, during her time at CTS Shar’ron’s younger brother passed away from Muscular Dystrophy just a semester before her graduation. Despite these challenges, Shar’ron persevered, graduating cum laude and early from the program. Shar’ron is a testament to the perseverance and resilience many CTS students and alumni exhibit on their pathways to ministry.
Today, Shar’ron has a thriving private practice focused on supporting her clients in achieving the same marriages and family dynamics she herself experienced. She currently supports clients at the CTS Counseling Center and a counseling center in Zionsville, and she provides support for a local nonprofit organization addressing the mental health challenges experienced as a result of our nation’s ongoing racial issues and COVID-19 pandemic. Although she began her practice by focusing on groups, her client base has expanded to include a number of individuals. However, Shar’ron explained that she truly has a heart to serve and support groups and families. When asked about the most fulfilling part of being a therapist, Shar’ron shared that it has been the opportunity to create a safe space for her clients to have those “ah ha” moments in their healing. She is committed to ensuring that each of her clients feels comfortable in bringing their full self to each session, and she works hard to create an atmosphere of safety. Shar’ron emphasized that she does not take ownership for her client’s healing. “We work together collaboratively to formulate life plans,” she said. “It’s not about what I want for my clients, but rather about helping them create the lives they want and desire.”
In addition to her therapy practice, Shar’ron is also two-time published author and working on an additional book to be published later this year. Her first book Marriage Ain’t for No Punks (2017), examines relationship attitudes and behaviors that make it possible to have a healthy marriage. Her second book Even Boss Ladies Need a Break (2019), received an Indy Author Award for “Best Self-Help Book.” This second book is guide in self-love that helps women prioritize themselves and prevent burnout, which is another of Shar’ron’s passions.
Last month, Shar’ron also served as a panelist for the second Virtual Alumni Speaker Series: “Healing the Wounds of Racism“. Given the current state of the country, she shared her insights on the intersection of faith and the fight for racial justice. “A lot of people are discussing how ‘All Lives Matter’, that Jesus came for all. However, that is not the issue being posed to this country. The issue is when we’re not standing with our brothers and sisters who are in pain, those who’ve had to endure so much, and we minimize the reality of their experiences.” She went on to share, “It’s as if I asked one of my brothers if he loved me and he says ‘I love all my siblings’. That does not suffice because I am asking if you love me. When we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, we must look at how we can support all and not invalidate their experiences. So, it’s not sufficient to say Jesus died for all and ‘All Lives Matter’. The question is do ‘Black Lives Matter’?” Shar’ron passionately shared that Jesus wasn’t passive and that ours is not a time for passivity. The church must stand up in love and in support for our black brothers and sisters just as Jesus did. “The inhumanity of seeing a man murdered with a knee on his neck has caused many to wake up,” she said. “We must do everything we can to ensure this does not happen again.”
Shar’ron also shared that, despite all we are experiencing, we must continue to have faith, hope, and love, even in times of darkness and pain. As a community, we are eternally grateful to Shar’ron and other CTS alumni for being that light of hope for the clients, families and communities they serve. They are needed now more than ever.
Learn more about CTS’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program.
