Shavonne James (she/her/hers)

Life transitions, whether planned or forced, may trigger symptoms of emotional instability, anxiety, or depression. I validate the natural responses to change and help individuals work through the extended symptoms. Common examples of life transitions include: marriage, divorce, death, loss, career changes, coming out, new parenthood, illness, retirement, gender reassignment, adjusting to college life, empty nest syndrome, etc.

As a clinician, I worked for 2 years with AB109 probationers to reintegrate back into the community after spending various lengths in time in our jail/prison system. I have also run groups in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility focusing on preparation for what was to come. I love to instill hope and build upon strengths to remind individuals that they are important and can make desired life changes.

A holistic approach means seeing a person as a whole being and recognizing the interconnectedness of one’s mind, body, and spirit in defining one’s overall wellness. Holistic balance utilizes a self-inventory of one’s mental (psychological), physical, emotional (i.e. expression of emotions), and spiritual (i.e. values, beliefs, sense of purpose) health to identify imbalances and work towards optimal wellness by strengthening weakened areas.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy aims to target struggles with role transitions, interpersonal deficits/disputes, and unresolved grief for a reduction in symptom distress. It is a recommended treatment for mood disorders (i.e. depression, bipolar disorder, etc.), anxiety, and eating disorders.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on recognizing the correlation between your thoughts, feelings, and actions in an effort to change disadvantageous patterns. It is a recommended treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addictions/maladaptive coping.

A holistic approach means seeing a person as a whole being and recognizing the interconnectedness of one’s mind, body, and spirit in defining one’s overall wellness. Holistic balance utilizes a self-inventory of one’s mental (psychological), physical, emotional (i.e. expression of emotions), and spiritual (i.e. values, beliefs, etc.) health to identify imbalances and work towards optimal wellness. Holistic balance emphasizes the belief that all areas of health are of equal importance.

Humanistic Therapy takes a look at the whole person by collaborating the viewpoints of the therapist and the individual in treatment. Humanistic Therapy highlights one’s desired traits and helps one explore their own instincts for growth and healing.

Existential Therapy focuses on the individual, rather than the symptoms. Existential Therapy explores one’s search for meaning, free will, and self-determination in order to increase self-awareness and self-understanding.

Person-Centered Therapy emphasizes that the individual is in the driver’s seat in their own treatment. The therapist, in this type of therapy, is seen as a facilitator rather than an authority figure. The role of the therapist is to support the client through their journey of self-discovery.

Self-discovery is an introspective journey with the goal of finding oneself. There are times when we get so off track with ourselves that we are strangers in our own skin. Self-discovery helps to reconnect with ourselves, accept who/where we are, and grow. Self-discovery may go hand in hand with a difficult life transition, a traumatic event, the desire to claim your identity, or to settle an existential crisis. Whatever brought you to the point of seeking self-discovery, we welcome you.

Brainspotting is a treatment method that utilizes your visual field to connect with the parts of your brain that hold onto unprocessed trauma. Brainspotting invites clients to process distressing experiences by following the lead of their body.

Inner child work may help with those experiencing intergenerational trauma. Inner child work helps explore unprocessed childhood emotions and feelings that currently impact one’s life and understanding, managing, and/or reducing triggers. One desire for inner child work may be to identify wounded areas and/or unmet needs of the child, learn to advocate, protect, or show compassion for the child, create a safe enough space to invite the child to play, and integrate the child with the adult self.

Inner child work may help those experiencing interpersonal conflict. Inner child work helps explore unprocessed childhood emotions and feelings that currently impact one’s life and understanding, managing, and/or reducing triggers. One desire for inner child work may be to identify wounded areas and/or unmet needs of the child, learn to advocate, protect, or show compassion for the child, create a safe enough space to invite the child to play, and integrate the child with the adult self.

How we see ourselves and the world around us is contingent upon our experiences and narratives. Narrative Therapy is a good way to acknowledge why we are operating in the world as we do and it offers opportunities to make shifts, if so desired, by altering our narratives.

The body holds onto traumas that we have yet to process. When that happens, we need our bodies to join in on the processing. In EMDR, we utilize our bodies as a tool for healing through bilateral movements and allowing our mind-body connection to direct us toward full body processing.

Holistic Therapy is important because it incorporates our whole-person (i.e. body, mind, spirit) needs into the healing process. For example, the unmet needs of our creative spirit can negatively impact our sense of self-worth or how stretching in the morning can relax our minds. It's all connected!