Teletherapy for Illinois

I have over 25 years experience treating adults, families, adolescents, and couples. I specialize in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and psychotic disorders. I am a published author who has presented my research on group psychotherapy nationally and internationally. I am also a licensed massage therapist who practices mind/body work. As a past board member with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and a past member of APA's Task force on severe mental illness, I am an advocate for individuals and families who struggle with the stigma associated with these disorders. As a retired professor at Midwestern University.

I believe in a collaborative approach to therapy and seek to empower my clients through collaboration in treatment. My worldview and theoretical approach is rooted in a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and social justic framework and utilizes interventions from methodologies such as Somatic Experiencing, existentialism, psychodynamic, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Therapy can be a powerful tool to hold space for clients and I come from a place of empowerment to help give clients space to process and dialogue through thoughts and feelings.

Are you tired of spending all your time in therapy educating your therapist instead of working on what you need? Looking for a therapist who specializes in struggles with identity, sexual orientation, diverse sexual groups, such as kink/BDSM; relationship orientation such as polyamory, relationship anarchy, or swinging; anxiety, depression, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic illness; secular or alternative faiths such as paganism; and are seeking patient-centered, compassionate, and affirming care?

Trauma can make you feel like someone has robbed you of your innocence, purpose, sense of belonging, your voice, and ability to feel safe in your own body. You might be searching for a sense of control, but feeling completely powerless. You escape into activities or relationships in order to feel anything at all and other times to make the feelings stop all together. You may have developed parts of yourself in order to survive, but what would life look like if you could shed old scripts and truly live a life that’s worth living?

Along the journey through life challenges are inevitable and there aren't always easy or clear answers about why things happen and what to do about them. We want our lives and life itself to have value, meaning and purpose; and finding or creating these things for ourselves can be confusing, frustrating and even scary. However, finding our deeper reason(s) in life can also be rewarding, exciting and empowering experience that provides the hope, courage, strength and tenacity needed to face life's challenges. Having the courage to begin this process and asking for support along the way doesn't mean you're weak, it makes you strong!

As a trauma informed psychotherapist, I help individuals struggling with relationships, depression, anxieties, mood disorders, stress, panic attacks, emotions, certain behaviors, sexual and abuse history, goal setting and life adjustments and transitions. Many of my clients have experienced lots of emotional distress. Many are experiencing relationship issues they feel are insurmountable, flashbacks, Self- esteem, confidence and intimacy problems. They are looking to change, break cycles. They feel exhausted, nothing they tried on their own has worked. They are looking for direction, guidance and support. I'm here to help.

I enjoy helping individual adults, couples, and families recognize and overcome any problematic cognitive or behavioral patterns that play a role in holding them back from living their best lives. Sometimes these problematic patterns center around how we think about things like our own worthiness, the trustworthiness of others, and what a successful parent/partner/worker "looks" like. We have been learning these core beliefs about ourselves and the world since before we could walk. Sometimes we stop updating those core beliefs when we get new information and we become stuck. You can get unstuck with Shauna.

*Specializes in teletherapy* Shanelle is a mental health therapist, trainer, author, and life coach. Having experienced a multitude of obstacles, Shanelle decided at a young age to spend her life's purpose learning to heal and helping others to heal. Shanelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, practicing mental health counseling since 2016. Shanelle enjoys family, painting, gardening, and self-development. Shanelle's ideal client is a person in the Action phase of change, and a person who is willing to try new skills inside and outside of sessions.

Change (no matter what it is) challenges your perceptions, feeling, memories, habits, and relationships. It starts out hard and messy, but it is growth. You are becoming a better parent, friend, partner, worker. But, you may not yet have much confidence in the decisions you're making. You want someone to listen carefully and to not question your sanity, in a non-judgmental, compassionate and insightful way. You know self questioning is normal, but you also know that talking it over with someone who has your best interests at heart will help you to feel better and more confident about your choices.

My entire therapeutic practice is based on three words: I believe you. How often in life (both past and present) have individuals struggled with someone believing them? How easy it is to be judged and misunderstood. A lack of being believed, coupled with being both judged and misunderstood are often what create low self-esteem, depression, trauma, fear and anxiety: all of which can affect relationships, friendships, family life, work, school etc. With support, change and healing are realistic possibilities.

We are our biggest project to work on. If you are feeling ready to explore your emotions and thought processes, reach out via the email button on the side panel (or visit my professional website by clicking "visit website".. I specialize in generalized anxiety, depression, and relational dynamic issues. Do you feel ready to take the deep dive into the self?

Getting started in therapy can feel like a challenging first step to feeling better. At our practice, we strive to make this a smooth transition where you will feel heard and understood. Our primary goal is focused on developing and maintaining a safe, open, empathetic, and trusting dynamic with each client. Together we can move through difficult or challenging life experiences in a warm and accessible way.

My therapeutic approach is rooted in humanistic theory. Humanistic theory places you and your experience at the center when considering treatment plans and diagnoses. I believe that every aspect of your experience is an important piece to the colorful puzzle that is you, and we get the clearest picture with all the pieces. Sometimes that can mean bringing our favorite parts to session, other times that means bringing some of the uncomfortable pieces. While therapy can be a vulnerable process in this way, I am committed to providing a non-judgmental, safe space to explore who you are and where you’d like to go.

I believe that you can create the change and happiness that you want. I believe in creating a safe and healing space where you are able to explore what is brining you to therapy. I have extensive experience working with trauma survivors; and believe therapy is a space where you are able to decide how you want to be supported and when. More importantly, I am excited to serve you, as you create the changes in your life. Piece by piece, building the life that you deserve and want.

Are you facing a new medical diagnosis or grieving the loss of a loved one? These massive changes can leave you feeling isolated, anxious, and unsure of where to turn. You might also feel overwhelmed by all that there is to do now: How do I talk to my children and family? What if work finds out? How will I ever get through this? If you have recently received a chronic, acute, or terminal medical diagnosis, there is the added stress of navigating the medical system and the uncertainty of what is ahead. Eventually, the distress, anxiety, and sadness that comes as a result of these changes can feel all-consuming.

Relationships and systems can be as uplifting and liberating as much as they can be minimizing and painful. Humans have a beautiful tendency to feel a lot of things which can lead to issues in communication, understanding, anxiety, and depression but it is our capacity to develop relationships with these different parts of ourselves through curiosity, compassion, and empathy that help us heal. Within those feelings there is growth and opportunity to find ourselves and our needs. Therapy is a way to find our interconnected parts and how we relate to ourselves and others.

Do you find yourself struggling with having high self-esteem? Maybe you recognize that you avoid pursuing specific goals? Or maybe you recognize that you limit your own opportunities because you worry about “failing” or not being “good enough”, or fear “disappointment”. Maybe you find yourself struggling to feel comfortable at work, or in your relationships. When we struggle with having healthy self esteem it can sometimes lead us to experiencing limiting beliefs about ourselves and the world around us, in which this often leads to a variety of issues that sometimes makes us feel like we are “stuck”.

Making the decision to reach out for help when we’re struggling emotionally can be challenging and even a little scary. For most of us, however, there comes a time when the difficulties we are facing gives us the courage to begin the search for change and healing. Finding the right therapist can be a crucial aspect of this journey. The therapist you select needs to be someone who helps you feel connected, accepted and understood. Clients find me to be warm, compassionate and non-judgmental while creating an effective therapeutic environment.

Enjoy therapy. I provide in-depth, client specific psychotherapy. I help individuals face and overcome challenges, cultivate hope, and move forward. With comprehensive experience and deep theoretical understanding, I support my clients to move forward safely and securely. I treat clients who have challenges including Personality Disorders, Depression, Grief/Bereavement, Anxiety, Panic, Alcohol and Substance Use Disorders, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. End-to-end encrypted telehealth therapy with secure email, video streaming, and intake system.