Licensed to practice in Florida and accepts 31 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Coping Skills, Couples Counseling and 10 more.

Shontell Harris

(she/her)

LMHC, 3 years of experience

Often rebooked

Warm
Authentic
Solution oriented
VirtualAvailable

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with more than 17 years of experience working with children (ages 5–18), adults, couples, and families. I earned my Master of Arts in Guidance Counseling from Argosy University in 2008. I became a certified school counselor that same year, holding a professional certification through the Department of Education (Certification#1101243). After several successful years in school counseling, I decided to expand my scope of practice and transition into therapy full-time. In October 2023, I became a Registered Mental Health Intern and subsequently completed a Post-Baccalaureate Certification in Marriage and Family Therapy from National University in June 2024. Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to audiobooks, going for walks in the park, watching Netflix, and baking.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

The first session is really about getting to know you and understanding what brings you in. We’ll go through a biopsychosocial assessment, which simply means I’ll ask questions about different areas of your life — your background, your emotional and physical health, your relationships, your environment, and anything else that helps me understand the full picture of your experience. There are no right or wrong answers. This is just a conversation, and you can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. As we talk, I’ll be listening closely — not just to the details, but to how things have been affecting you. My goal is to understand what you’re going through with compassion and without judgment. Once we’ve gathered that information, we’ll start shaping a treatment plan together. That includes identifying your goals, what you hope to work on, and what you’d like to see change. I use several therapeutic approaches — like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, solution‐focused strategies, and others — and we’ll decide together which ones fit your needs best.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

Rather than imposing a single model, I let the client’s goals and presenting concerns guide the therapeutic direction, ensuring that treatment is collaborative, personalized, and empowering.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

My passion lies in helping individuals, couples, adolescents, teens, and families navigate challenges such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, grief, behavioral concerns, identity issues, and major life transitions. My therapeutic style is collaborative and integrative, focusing on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behavior. I help clients build awareness, develop coping strategies, and incorporate mindfulness techniques to foster lasting growth and change.

Specialties

Top specialties

Anxiety

Other specialties

Anger Management

Depression

Grief

Self Esteem

I identify as

Serves ages

Children (6 to 12)

Teenagers (13 to 17)

Licensed in

Location

Offers in-person in 122 E Main St, Lakeland, FL 33801

Virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I work from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) foundation, helping clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

I integrate mindfulness practices to support clients in slowing down, grounding themselves, and becoming more aware of their internal experiences, creating space for insight and emotional regulation.

Supportive

My style is deeply relational. Through talk therapy, active listening, empathy, and compassion, I create a safe environment where clients feel understood. This allows me to get to the heart of their concerns and tailor my interventions to their needs.

Dialectical Behavior (DBT)

I draw from multiple evidence‐based modalities, one being Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), to help with emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness

Solution Focused Brief Treatment

I use Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) to help identify strengths and build on what’s already working.

, 29 ratings

15 ratings with written reviews

June 18, 2026

I wish I could’ve chosen all of the above options, I was absolutely terrified to start therapy… the thought alone created massive anxiety … but she has been so warm and comforting, validating, and just really in my opinion, has gone above and beyond for my therapy. I could give her 100 stars and choose every option listed above … and it wouldn’t be enough . I lost my 10-year-old son. She is the first person I have felt safe and comfortable talking to about it.

Verified client, age 45-54
Review shared after session 3 with Shontell

June 18, 2026

I have only had one session, but I appreciate her reflective listening skills and her compassion thus far. She seemed to get a clear picture of my challenges and my therapy goals. Praying all will go well moving forward so I can be on my road to success and healing.

Verified client, age 45-54
Review shared after session 1 with Shontell

June 16, 2026

Shontell is a solution focused therapist with deep knowledge on how the mind reacts. She is equipping me with the tools necessary to pause and not react in anger.

Verified client, age 35-44
Review shared after session 2 with Shontell