Welcome - my name is Shannon and I am Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. I have experience supporting clients as they navigate a wide range of challenges, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, substance use disorders, relationship concerns, and life transitions. I strive to create a compassionate, collaborative space where you feel understood, supported, and empowered throughout your healing process.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, my priority is to create a welcoming and affirming therapeutic environment. Together, we will explore your strengths and needs while considering how we can best collaborate to support both your comfort and growth. By the end of our first session, we will have developed a shared understanding of your goals and begin crafting a plan to help you achieve them.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I believe deeply in the importance of a strong and supportive therapeutic alliance, collaborative treatment planning, and ongoing assessment of the efficacy of treatment. I am goal-driven and results-oriented while also honoring the reality that growth takes time, trust, and vulnerability.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best suited to support clients who are ready to explore meaningful change in their lives. My approach is eclectic, person-centered, and strengths-based. I integrate evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). I have also received training in Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD. It may be helpful if you come to our first session with a sense of what you would like to achieve through therapy. If you have engaged in therapy before, I welcome you to share what has and has not been helpful - your insights will guide us in creating a process that truly fits your needs. If you are ready to explore how therapy can support your growth and healing, I encourage you to schedule your first appointment today. I look forward to meeting you.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have several years of experience using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with clients across the lifespan. CBT is an evidence-based approach that is effective for mood, anxiety, and trauma-related concerns, among others. CBT can help you become more aware of the patterns in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may be contributing to distress. Through using CBT, we’ll collaborate to challenge unhelpful thinking, develop new coping strategies, and practice more effective behaviors, ultimately supporting you in building greater stability, resilience, and well-being.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I integrate DBT skills training into my work with clients who are seeking support managing intense or overwhelming emotions. While DBT is particularly effective for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder, it is also highly beneficial for those navigating anxiety-, mood-, and trauma-related symptoms. Together, we may build core DBT skills such as mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Then, we can work to apply these skills in real-life situations to enhance emotional stability, improve relationships, and build greater confidence in navigating daily challenges.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
After completing intensive training in Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), I began integrating this goal-oriented and strengths-based approach into my work with many clients. SFT emphasizes what’s already working in your life including your existing abilities, resources, and successes. Together, we’ll identify these strengths, explore exceptions to the problem, and build on those exceptions to create meaningful and sustainable change. This approach is especially helpful for concerns such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem challenges, and interpersonal difficulties. By focusing on practical solutions and small, achievable steps, SFT can help you gain clarity, feel more empowered, and move toward the future you want to create.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
When working with clients with OCD, I utilize Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment for the diagnosis. ERP helps to take power back from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. ERP involves gradually facing triggers while resisting the urge to engage in compulsions. This process helps retrain the brain to see these triggers as less threatening over time. ERP can be challenging, but it is highly effective. I’m committed to helping you feel grounded, informed, and empowered throughout the process. We’ll move at a pace that’s right for you, building skills that increase your confidence and reduce the cycle of fear and avoidance.
Attachment-based
For clients experiencing relational concerns, I draw on attachment-based principles to develop an understanding of how early experiences shape current patterns of connection, coping, and self-worth. By exploring these relational patterns and templates within a safe and attuned therapeutic relationship, clients develop greater emotional security, self-understanding, and the capacity to form healthier and more satisfying relationships.