Dr. Shannon Derby, LMHC

Dr. Shannon Derby is a Florida-licensed mental health counselor with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and the fallout of trauma and abuse. She works with clients on addictions, anger, self-esteem, motivation, and major life changes. Her approach is respectful and compassionate, focused on each person’s real-life needs.

In sessions she listens first and adapts the conversation to each person’s situation. She uses a range of practical tools to build coping skills and to address patterns that get in the way of daily functioning. Expect clear explanations, steady support, and a plan tailored to your goals.

Her work draws on several established approaches including cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-based perspectives, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy. These methods are used to help people understand difficult feelings and to develop workable strategies for change.

Dr. Derby emphasizes collaborative care - clients and therapist decide together what to try and when to adjust course. She aims to help people regain a sense of control and make choices that fit their values.

Practical matters such as session timing and the focus of treatment are set together at the start. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

How her approaches translate to online work

Dr. Derby uses cognitive behavioral approaches that focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. CBT helps break cycles of worry and low mood by practicing small changes between sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourages people to clarify values and take committed steps even when strong feelings are present, which is helpful for anxiety, trauma reactions, and life transitions.

She also draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape present patterns. That perspective can help people understand recurring relationship struggles and build healthier ways of relating. Choosing which approach to use is a joint process; she will talk with each client about goals and preferences and help pick strategies that feel workable.

Confirm the current online session options before booking, as formats are set by the practice. Online work can make therapy easier to fit into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and remove travel time. Therapists can use video for face-to-face conversation or adjust session pacing to focus on skill practice and homework that fits into everyday life.