Team

Dr. Sharnell Myles, Psy.D.

Executive Director

As Founder and Executive Director of SJC4G, Dr. Sharnell Myles, Psy. D. brings a high level of expertise to her work as an advocate for her Social Justice Girls.

She is a licensed psychotherapist and certified clinical trauma professional who specializes in the treatment of complex trauma. Her dedication to serving children, youth, and adults has spanned over 20-years with a focus on utilizing trauma-informed services to treat sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic minor sex trafficking, and community-based trauma.

Dr. Myles is the CEO/Owner of JoyUs Beginnings Child & Family Wellness Center and The Urban Trauma Positive Impact Center, Inc. which is an exclusive trauma-informed treatment and advocacy center located in Atlanta, Georgia. Services include trauma informed therapies, trauma assessments, group treatments, gender specific social justice initiatives for girls of color and PeriCare a 2-Gen maternal fetal behavioral health treatment and advocacy initiative. Dr. Myles served as the first Clinical Director and developed the trauma informed protocol for a nonprofit organization serving vulnerable youth who experienced exploitation, abuse, and other victimizations within the Fulton County Juvenile Court (FCJC), the largest juvenile court in the southeast region.

Throughout her career, Dr. Myles has consulted with various states and systems of care, such as East Cleveland’s MyCom, Inc., to develop trauma-informed programming. In December 2018, Dr. Myles collaborated with Atlanta Public School Board Member Erika Mitchell – District 5 and co-authored the first Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Protocol for schools in the state of Georgia and has trained hundreds of School Social Workers on this policy. In addition, she has trained thousands of individuals on CSEC which includes Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, corporations, law

enforcement, mental health providers, educators, lawyers, governmental officials, and community members.

Dr. Myles has been appointed to many leadership positions throughout her career. She is the current Advisory Board Chair for the DeKalb County Juvenile Court Mental Health Court - Journey Program, a member of the Georgia Statewide Multi- Disciplinary Team for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Board Chair for Breaking the Cycle, Inc (Philadelphia), and was the Vice Chair of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Taskforce Survivors Supported and Protected workgroup. Dr. Myles is a subject matter expert and routinely provides expert testimony in legal cases involving child and adolescent trauma. She has presented at various conferences and has experience in vast settings such as clinical, juvenile justice, Department of Defense, and community-based settings.

Dr. Myles has a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and Master’s degree in Community and Clinical Psychology from Norfolk State University, and a Master's degree and Doctor of Psychology degree from Georgia School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Myles also has a certificate and is a fellow of the Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform.

Dr. Myles has been named a 2019 Servant Leader for her work in the area of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking and has received numerous awards and accommodations: Atlanta Board of Commissioners Proclamation, State Senate Resolution, The President Barack Obama Lifetime Service Award, Our Children’s Keeper Community Leadership Award, House of Hope Public Service Award, ACHI Magazine Mental Health Advocate Award, to name a few.