Shawna Chandler

Shawna Chandler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 20 years of experience. She helps people who feel stuck by addressing stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, and depression. She also supports concerns such as abandonment, caregiver strain, communication problems, codependency, and challenges around divorce or separation.

Shawna uses straightforward conversation and practical tools to help people notice what matters to them. Sessions focus on clear, manageable steps rather than abstract theory. She listens for patterns that keep people feeling stuck and works with them to try different ways of responding to old problems.

Her approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. These methods are used to address distressing memories, unhelpful thinking, emotional regulation, and values-based decision making. The mix of approaches depends on the person and the presenting concern.

People who come to Shawna often want help sorting priorities after a life change or getting unstuck at work or in relationships. She guides practical skill building such as problem-solving, emotion regulation, and communication techniques. Over time the focus shifts to applying those skills in everyday situations.

To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session. Cost varies by region and is handled via a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How her approaches translate to online work

Shawna draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice what matters to them and take small, concrete steps toward those values. ACT often focuses on actions that fit the client's priorities rather than on eliminating uncomfortable thoughts or feelings.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and test unhelpful thinking patterns. CBT breaks problems into manageable pieces and supports practical experiments to change behavior and mood. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is used when past memories continue to cause strong distress; EMDR aims to reduce the intensity of those memories so they interfere less with daily life.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shawna will talk with each person about what feels useful and adjust methods based on goals, preferences, and how someone responds in early sessions. The work is paced to the person's needs and can shift over time as progress is made.

Confirm which session formats are available before booking since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, allow short check-ins when time is limited, or avoid travel when schedules are tight. The practical aim is to make therapy manageable and applicable to everyday life.