Couples therapists in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

I have over 20 years of experience providing psychotherapy across a wide range of settings, including acute and non-acute mental health, residential treatment, and outpatient care. Throughout my career, I've worked with adults, adolescents, individuals, and couples facing everything from everyday life stressors to more complex emotional and psychological challenges.

While I work with a broad range of concerns, I have particular interests in relationship counseling using the Gottman Method, chronic pain utilizing Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), addiction, borderline personality disorder using DBT, and anxiety-related disorders. I also frequently help clients navigate life transitions, relationship difficulties, parenting, work stress, panic, and general emotional well-being.

One thing that deeply shapes my work is a genuine curiosity about the human condition. I believe every person's story makes sense when we take the time to understand it. Rather than viewing people through the lens of a diagnosis alone, I strive to understand the experiences, relationships, beliefs, and circumstances that have shaped who they are. I see therapy as a collaborative process of exploration, insight, and meaningful change.

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and psychotherapist, I believe prioritizing your mental health is one of the most important steps toward building a stable, meaningful, and fulfilling life. Reaching out for help can feel intimidating, and I want to acknowledge the courage it takes to begin that process. I have been practicing for over 26 years, with the past decade focused on helping individuals navigate anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and anger management concerns.

Many of the clients I work with experience chronic stress, difficulty managing emotions, communication struggles, or patterns in relationships that leave them feeling frustrated, misunderstood, or disconnected. I work with clients ages 15–65 and support individuals who may be dealing with persistent worry, low mood, irritability, family conflict, life transitions, or difficulty coping with everyday pressures. My goal is to help you gain insight into your experiences, strengthen emotional resilience, and develop healthier ways to manage challenges so you can move forward with greater confidence and balance.

I believe healing happens when you feel genuinely seen, understood, and supported. My goal is to create a space where you can show up exactly as you are without fear of judgment.

I work with adults, young adults and children experiencing anxiety, trauma, depression, relationship challenges, emotional dysregulation, and life transitions. I integrate evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), somatic interventions, and mindfulness to help clients better understand themselves, develop effective coping skills, and create lasting change.

Whether you are carrying the weight of trauma, feeling worn down by anxiety or depression, or working through a painful loss or a strained relationship, you deserve a space where you feel understood and genuinely supported. I am Shanda, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 28 years of experience walking alongside adults, couples, and families through life's hardest seasons. My style is open-minded, empowering, and solution-oriented. I will meet you with warmth and without judgment, and I focus on real, practical steps forward. When you are ready, I would be honored to see if we are a good fit.