My Approach to Helping
Shannon sees her relationship with her clients as the most important component of effective therapy. In a trusting and safe space, she and her clients collaborate to understand the client’s needs. She believes in empowering her clients through open, honest communication and discussions about the counseling process. She hopes to create a bold space where clients can feel vulnerable, try new things, and talk openly. She makes clients feel accepted, not judged.
Shannon understands that counseling can be uncomfortable. She also believes in its value, and knows how rewarding it can be. She brings humor to each session, and is prepared to do the hard work with her clients.
While using different approaches with each client based on their needs, she sees a strength-based approach as central. Everyone brings strengths to treatment. These strengths can help them succeed. The decision to seek treatment is a sign of strength and the willingness to change. This desire is a driving force behind treatment. Shannon uses it to build courage and access other vital skills.
More Info About My Practice
Shannon is experienced with a range of clients, ages, and backgrounds. She sees counseling as an ongoing adventure, whether working with children or adults. Nurturing a relationship and investing in someone else’s life is an honor. She strives to work as hard as her clients do as they jointly navigate the process.
Shannon’s orientation is eclectic, using elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy, mindfulness, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing, trauma-informed counseling, strengths-based and person-centered therapy, expressive therapy, and others. Each client is different. Shannon believes that no single approach can address everyone’s needs. When clients are willing to be flexible, open, and honest, Shannon believes she should show them the same respect by tailoring her style to their needs.
Shannon is an Adler University graduate. She holds a masters in mental health counseling from Adler’s CACREP-accredited program. She also received domestic violence training from the Illinois Certified Domestic Violence Prevention Board. She has worked in a range of settings, including outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), forensic, and partial hospitalization (PHP) settings. She is experienced with individual, group, and family therapy.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
Depression, Self-Injury, Suicidal Ideation, Anxiety, Eating Disorders, Impulsivity, ADHD, Behavioral Disorders, Addiction, Substance Abuse, Dual-Diagnosis, Borderline Personality Disorder, Personality Disorders, Academic Underachievement, Bipolar Disorder, Mood Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Family Conflict, Relationship Issues (peers, significant others, partners, etc.), Dissociative Disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Trauma, Abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, psychological, etc.), Autism Spectrum, Identity Issues, LGBTQ issues, Domestic Violence, Teen Dating Violence, Career Counseling, Grief, Life-change Adjustment Issues, Life Coaching, Racial Identity, Thought Disorders, Phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Dependency and Co-Dependency, Men's and Women's Issues, Issues of Childhood and Adolescence, Coping Skills, Body Image, Parenting. Couples Counseling, Children, Adolescents, Young Adults, Adults, Elders