Sherrie Lopez
Sherrie (Nelson) Lopez, BA, LCDC, is a dedicated Drug and Alcohol Counselor serving the Bowie community in Texas through Helen Farabee MHMR Center. With seven years of experience in addiction treatment and recovery services, Sherrie is committed to helping individuals rediscover hope, dignity, and long-term healing. She began her counseling career at Stillwater Behavioral Health Treatment Center, a medical detox facility in Montecito, California, where she worked for four years before relocating to Texas. In her current role, she works as a substance abuse counselor providing services to Montague County (and surrounding areas) and she facilitates group counseling and psychoeducational programs twice weekly, covering substance use recovery, HIV and communicable disease prevention, and opioid overdose awareness. She is especially passionate about Narcan training and expanding opioid education to save lives within her rural community. Sherrie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology from California Lutheran University, graduating with a 3.89 GPA, and previously earned her Associate of Arts in Psychology from Oxnard College with honors. Her professional credentials include Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, International Certification for Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC) through the Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals, Certified Addition Treatment Counselor (CATC II) through the Addiction Counselor Certification Board of California, and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC II) through California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals in California. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Midwestern State University with the goal of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor and ultimately earning her PhD, focusing on the intersection of trauma, mental health, and addiction. What sets Sherrie apart is not only her clinical training but her lived experience. Having personally navigated recovery after 38 years of addiction, she brings authenticity, empathy, and deep compassion to her counseling practice. She understands firsthand the courage it takes to seek help and the resilience required to sustain change. Her mission is to empower clients to recognize their inherent worth, break cycles of trauma and substance use, and build lives grounded in purpose, accountability, and hope.
• Currently pursuing Master's degree at MSU Texas
• California Lutheran University - Bachelor of Arts - BA, Clinical Psychology
• Oxnard College - AA-T, PSYCHOLOGY
• Oxnard College - Addictive Disorder Studies
• LCDC (Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor)
• ICADC (International Certification for Alcohol and Drug Counselors)
• CATCII (Certified Addtiction Treatment Counselor)
• CADC-II (Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor)
• Magna Cum Laude 2025
• Dean's List - California Lutheran Universtiy - 2024-2025
• Outstanding Student for Term Four, Research Methods in Psycology
• Outstanding Student Winter 2025
• Dean's List - Oxnard College 2019-2022
• Alpha Beta Kappa - Lifetime member since 2010
• Ledership Wichita Falls - Class 2026
• Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals
• California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals
• Addiction Counselor Certification Board of California
• Habitat for Humanity of Ventura, CA - 2024
• Habitat for Humanity of Oxnard,CA - Womens Build - 2005
Areas of Specialization/Expertise
- Substance Abuse
- Opioid Overdose Prevention
- HIV and Communicable Disease Education
- Narcan Training
- Psychoeducation
- CPS Cases
- Motivational Interviewing
- Tobacco Cessation
What do you enjoy most about practicing medicine?
What I enjoy most is seeing the transformation in my clients and helping them realize they are worthy of recovery. I am a dedicated advocate based in Bowie, specializing in supporting families through the complexities of CPS cases. My mission is to help clients recognize their inherent worth and realize that recovery is not only possible but sustainable. Having navigated my own challenges with recovery and the pain of not regaining the relationship with my children, I bring a unique, lived-person perspective to my work. I utilize Motivational Interviewing to help clients challenge negative self-narratives and identify their internal strengths. Whether it’s helping a mother set new educational goals or witnessing the joy of a family reunification, I am committed to standing behind every person I serve. My goal is to provide the hope and momentum needed to rewrite their story and reclaim their future. I had one young lady who was a CPS case who just called me yesterday telling me she's getting her kids back in 30 days - from 'I'm never going to get my kids back' to 'thank you, Sherrie, I'm getting them back.' All I do is give them hope and encouragement and help them find their strengths, and even their weaknesses, because through their weaknesses they can gain some momentum and start changing that negative narrative from worthless to worthy. I help them change that narration through motivational interviewing, so they tell themselves 'hey, wait a minute, I am worthy. Hey, wait a minute, I did do a good job. Hey, wait a minute, I can have this too.' It's the encouragement and sitting behind them, showing them that they're worthy that's important. Even if it just helps one person, everything I've ever done in my life has been worth it.