- Guilt and shame support
- CBT and ACT methods
- Diverse cultural awareness
About Shanekka
Shanekka Brown-Johnson is an LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) in California with 14 years of clinical experience. She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem issues, depression, and people adjusting to life changes. She also addresses concerns such as abandonment, adoption and foster care, caregiver stress, communication problems, control issues, family of origin wounds, forgiveness, guilt and shame, and feelings of isolation.
She has worked in residential mental health and substance abuse settings, schools, domestic violence and family shelters, and outpatient treatment. That variety has shaped how she listens and responds to practical needs in day-to-day life. Sessions focus on the problem at hand and on clear, usable steps clients can try between meetings.
Her approach blends several evidence-based methods. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify unhelpful thinking and try new behavior patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and choose values-guided actions. Motivational Interviewing supports decision-making when change feels hard.
She also uses Client-Centered principles to keep sessions focused on the person speaking, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills when strong emotions or panic get in the way. Narrative ideas come in when looking at the stories people tell about themselves and how those stories can shift.
Shanekka aims to work respectfully with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds and with people recovering from substance use issues. She offers practical exercises, gentle feedback, and collaborative planning so clients can try different ways of handling guilt, shame, and other painful feelings.
How therapeutic approaches guide online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, then choosing actions that match what matters most. This can help with persistent guilt or shame by shifting attention toward values-based steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and offers concrete exercises to test unhelpful beliefs and try new responses. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides skills for managing intense emotions and panic, including grounding and distress-tolerance tools.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shanekka will talk with each person about goals and preferences, and she uses the methods above to create a practical plan. That collaboration helps decide which techniques are worth trying first and what to track between sessions.
The original biography does not list specific online formats. Please confirm the session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so appointments can occur between other commitments. Licensed professionals can use the approaches described to address guilt, shame, anxiety, and life changes in ways that fit everyday routines.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Listed in
California, Alaska
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to guilt or shame?
She works with guilt and shame alongside anxiety, depression, trauma, family of origin problems, and life transitions.
How does she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help name painful thoughts and try different responses in daily life.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 14 years of experience working across residential care, schools, shelters, and outpatient settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LMFT licensed in Alaska and California and practices from California.
Can I see a therapist in another country with her?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; confirm current options before booking.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the brief matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.