Shanika Katara Jones, LMHC

Shanika Katara Jones is a Florida-licensed mental health counselor with seven years of clinical experience. She focuses on everyday problems like stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, relationship struggles, and depression. She aims to make the first step easier for people who want a more satisfying life.

She creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where clients can speak openly about thoughts and feelings. Sessions are conversational and practical. Shanika listens closely and helps people find clearer ways to cope with change and with day-to-day pressures.

Her work often centers on helping clients notice unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. That practical focus can help with mood shifts, worry, and relationship patterns that keep repeating. She also draws on mindfulness to help people feel steadier in stressful moments.

Shanika brings attention to how past experiences shape current relationships and choices. She can help people untangle issues like abandonment, attachment patterns, codependency, and family of origin concerns. These conversations are paced to match what each person needs.

She also supports people facing life transitions such as midlife questions, changes in roles, or shifts in purpose. Shanika addresses substance concerns, trauma-related symptoms, and multicultural stressors with sensitivity and straightforward tools. Her approach combines practical strategies with close listening to help clients move forward.

How her approaches translate to online care

Shanika uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors; this approach is practical and often used for anxiety, low mood, and stress. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which centers on listening and responding to each person's experience so they feel heard and respected in sessions. Finally, she may incorporate Mindfulness Therapy techniques to teach simple attention and breathing practices that reduce reactivity and help with emotional regulation.

Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Shanika will talk with clients about their goals and preferences, then try methods that match what they want to change. She adjusts pacing and techniques over time so the work fits the person rather than forcing a single method.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more accessible. Video is useful for full conversations and visual cues, phone works when bandwidth is an issue or a shorter check-in is needed, and chat or messaging can support quick updates or ongoing reflections between sessions. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, school, or family life while still using the same therapeutic approaches.