Shawna Chandler, LCSW

Shawna Chandler is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and the effects of trauma and abuse. She keeps language simple and practical so worried parents can understand what to expect in sessions. Shawna focuses on building trust and a calm space where people feel able to talk about hard things.

She uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes. Shawna also draws on acceptance and commitment approaches to clarify what matters to someone and to support committed steps toward those values. Client-centered work guides how she listens and shapes sessions around each person’s needs.

With two decades of practice as an LCSW in California, she combines real-world experience with straightforward techniques. Sessions typically focus on clear goals and skills you can use between meetings. Shawna pays attention to communication patterns, self-esteem, and the practical stresses of daily life.

She has worked with people facing a wide range of concerns, including abandonment, caregiver stress, codependency, divorce and separation, and domestic violence. Shawna also supports people dealing with personality-related difficulties, comorbidity, and aging issues. Her approach is flexible so she can adapt strategies to what helps an individual most.

Shawna aims to help clients build coping skills, improve communication, and move toward a more stable emotional balance. She encourages small steps and honest conversation as the path to change.

How Shawna’s Approaches Work Online

Shawna uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot patterns of thought that worsen anxiety or low mood. In plain terms, that means identifying unhelpful thinking and testing small changes to see what helps. She also draws on acceptance and commitment therapy to clarify values and support steady steps toward a more meaningful life, even when uncomfortable feelings remain.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Shawna will talk with each person about what feels most useful and adapt methods to match goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process where skills, goals, and pacing are chosen together rather than imposed.

Online sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone meetings, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and teaching skills that involve demonstration. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging allow brief updates, skills practice, and flexible communication between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives while still focusing on practical skill building and steady progress.