Author Stories Podcast Episode 755 | Sharon Prentice PhD Interview


Today’s author interview guest is Sharon Prentice PhD, author of Becoming Starlight: A Shared Death Journey from Darkness to Light.

Becoming Starlight is a memoir about the process of grief and its relationship to the mysteries concerning the afterlife. This book will bring comfort to those who are feeling unrelenting sorrow over the loss of loved ones. This memoir is a story of surviving grief and mending the wounds of loss.

“Becoming Starlight is truly sensational; everybody who is seriously interested in the question of life after death should read it.”
— Raymond Moody, M.D., Ph.D., author of Life After Life, Reunions, and Glimpses of Eternity

“In Becoming Starlight, Dr. Sharon Prentice describes the deeply human losses and hurts that gave birth to a vision of our true identity and place in this universe. Her life-changing—and life-giving—encounter with the divine simply had to be shared. This book is a gift.”
—Seth J. Gillihan, Ph.D., author of A Mindful Year and The CBT Deck, and Psychology Today contributor

“Dr. Sharon Prentice, in her book Becoming Starlight, assists all of humanity by transmuting our collective fear of death into love when she journeys to that mysterious place we call Heaven and returns to share her experiences with us. This messenger is worth listening to.”
— Tim Miejan, editor of The Edge Magazine

“In Becoming Starlight, the author teaches us the most important lesson of all—that love is the eternal fiber connecting all existence, living and beyond. Her extraordinary true story provides faith and ease to all who wonder what happens when our loved ones or we die.”
— Randi Fine, Author of Close Encounters of the Worst Kind, Podcast Host of A Fine Time for Healing

“A magnificent reckoning with love, death, God, and the unexplainable universe that surrounds us all. From living through devastating heartbreak to cracking wide open with indescribable awe, Becoming Starlight is a deeply personal story on where we can find peace, solace, and stillness in the world of grief.”
— Shelby Forsythia, Intuitive Grief Guide and Podcast Host of Coming Back: Conversations on Life After Loss

“Sharon’s experience is probably the most extensive and beautiful shared-death experience I’ve come across. And the struggles she experienced in her life demonstrate that no matter how hopeless life seems, all of us are loved by God, infinitely. Becoming Starlight is more than just the missing link in near-death literature (which it is), and more than just powerful evidence of the afterlife (which it also is), it’s a testament to the power, potential, and infinite worth of the human soul.”
— Chas Hathaway, Host of the Near-Death Experience Podcast

Soon after completing her graduate studies in psychology, Dr. Sharon Prentice found the world of secular psychology lacking-her patients needed “something more”. So, she set out to investigate and explore alternative methods in the field of mental health that would incorporate that “something special” she believed existed in each and every individual soul. Her journey would take her through the great religions of the world as well as to a discovery of ancient, time proven alternatives to modern therapeutic models of counseling.

Along the way, because of her unusual personal experience with death, she developed a keen, and intense interest in death and dying, and researched, investigated and interviewed patients who were in the dying process, individuals who had experienced NDE’s or SDE’s or had experienced something “weird, unbelievable, odd” at the time of death of a loved one. She found that “something more” in Spirit!

Her studies and experiences led her to seek out alternative learning centers which incorporated a much more spiritual approach to mental health. Dr. Prentice firmly believes that if one is not Spiritually healthy then it is nearly impossible to enjoy emotional, psychological or physical health.

Dr. Prentice is in private practice as a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor-Advanced Certification. She is also a Board Certified Spiritual Counselor (SC-C) and holds Board Certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Group Therapy, Integrated Marriage and Family Therapy, and Crisis and Abuse Therapy. She is also a Board Certified Temperament Counselor.

Dr. Prentice is a Professional Member of the American Counselors Association, a Professional Clinical member of the National Christian Counselors Association, a Clinical member of the American Mental Health Counselors Association and a Presidential member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. She is also a Commissioned minister of Pastoral Care.

Dr. Prentice and her 30+ years of interest in the Spiritual health of her patients have guided her away from strictly traditional methods of psychotherapy to what she terms “crazy hot mess” therapy where all aspects of one’s being are considered and honored. Because of the nature of her experiences, both personal and professional, she has a unique understanding of the true nature of the Soul-and the need for ripping open the dark recesses of the Spirit where joy sometimes is held captive. “Crazy hot mess therapy” opens up-wakes up-the Spirit! She does, however, devote extra attention to those seeking solace and understanding after the death of a loved one as she fully acknowledges the experiences that sometimes accompany that death.

Her commitment to the health and well being of the Spiritual nature of her patients has led to her being called “an empath”, “ a mind reader”, “a healer”, “a spiritual guide” by her patients. Her highly sensitive, intuitive, and compassionate nature, her unique approach to therapy, and her truly empathic ways have engendered a loving and fiercely loyal following among her patients and her friends.

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