10/23/2025
OAC SPOTLIGHT! Meet Sharon Pago, LCSW!
Sharon is one of our amazing, well-versed therapists who has a refreshing and inspirational outlook on life and the therapeutic relationship.
1. How did you get into social work/mental health?
I knew I was destined for the human services field back in high school. Every day, I’d pass a door labeled “Social Worker”; always closed, always dark, always mysteriously vacant. Most people might’ve walked faster. I got curious. That quiet little door sparked something in me. I started college as a Business Major, eventually changed to Psychology and added Social Work as a double major. I charged straight through the bachelor’s program to a master’s program in clinical social work. Post-grad I accepted a job working in a geriatric and pediatric nursing facility. I quickly fell in love with working with the geriatric population and that is what I still do, to this day.
2. A fun fact about yourself:
I Am a Children’s Book Author!
My book, Talking to Sissy, was published last year and holds a very special place in my heart. It’s a tender, emotionally resonant story that explores sibling loss through the eyes of a toddler; a perspective often overlooked, yet deeply affected.
The inspiration came during a quiet moment in a hospital room with my grandson. The space felt too large, too still, and too full of unspoken emotion. In that silence, I realized how often children are expected to absorb grief without language, without validation, and without tool. Writing Talking to Sissy reminded me that therapeutic work doesn’t always happen in an office. Sometimes, it begins with a storybook, and a quiet moment.
3. A piece of advice for your younger self:
You don’t have to brace for impact every time life knocks. Not every door leads to danger, and not every silence means that something is wrong.
You are resilient, intuitive, and more equipped than you realize. Trust in that. Trust in yourself
Thank you Sharon for all you do for OAC!
