Dr. Shannon Derby, LMHC

Dr. Shannon Derby is a Florida-licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 25 years of professional experience. She works with adults on issues such as stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, low self-esteem, depression, and motivation. She also addresses parenting concerns, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, and coping with life changes.

Her approach is practical and conversational. Sessions focus on clear goals and skills you can use between meetings. She adapts discussion and strategies to the concerns you bring and the pace you prefer. Therapy can include short-term skills work or longer exploration depending on what you need.

Dr. Derby uses several well-known methods in her work, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Attachment-Based Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy. Those approaches inform how she helps people manage strong emotions, change unhelpful patterns, and rebuild relationships with themselves and others.

She is comfortable addressing complex situations such as trauma, addiction, ADHD, blended family issues, abandonment and attachment struggles, and caregiver stress. Sessions also tackle practical concerns like career changes, communication problems, and codependency.

People who come for help with anger often focus on understanding triggers, learning calming and communication skills, and creating workable plans for high-stress moments. The emphasis is on actionable steps and real-life practice rather than theory alone.

How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions