Shana Williams-Leary , LCSW

Shana Williams-Leary is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 24 years of practice across inpatient crisis units and outpatient counseling settings. She has provided care to individuals, couples, and families ranging from children as young as four to older adults in their eighties, and her work has taken her through Florida, Utah, Maine, Arizona, and several other countries. Her clinical approach is adaptable - she begins by meeting clients where they are and then tailors interventions to fit each person’s needs and goals.

Her primary specialty is trauma work, including PTSD stemming from abuse and both primary and secondary traumas. She is a Certified TIST clinician - Trauma-Informed Stabilization and Treatment - and has advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, including the Flash Technique. She also has substantial experience supporting people with chronic serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as dissociative conditions and major depression. In addition, she has worked with clients facing life transitions, expatriates, highly sensitive persons, developmental delays, and some individuals and caregivers coping with middle-stage dementia.

Shana’s preferred comfort level for individual work is with adults age 18 and older. Her style blends warmth, acceptance, and trust-building with practical, solution-focused strategies when appropriate. She uses Motivational Interviewing to clarify values and goals, then shifts into strengths-based skill building using cognitive-behavioral and humanistic techniques, informed by family systems and developmental perspectives. She regards therapeutic work as a meaningful, shared journey and approaches each relationship with respect, compassion, and a commitment to helping clients develop healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Shana Williams-Leary

Shana integrates several evidence-informed approaches to help clients address trauma, mood concerns, and relationship issues. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an approach she has advanced training in; it focuses on processing distressing memories and related symptoms through guided bilateral stimulation and can be helpful for people struggling with trauma-related reactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns, learn practical coping skills, and develop new behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an accepting, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship - the therapist provides empathy and support while clients lead the pace and focus of the work.

Choosing the right approach is collaborative - Shana will work with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts strategies over time as progress and circumstances evolve. The process is guided by the client’s priorities and paced to their readiness.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which can increase accessibility and flexibility for people with busy schedules, mobility limits, or geographic distance. These formats allow licensed professionals to offer consistent, goal-focused care while making it easier for clients to attend sessions from wherever they are.