Dr. Shannon Derby, LMHC | Therapist in Florida

Practical tools
Respectful listening
Values focused

About Shannon

Dr. Shannon Derby is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida with 25 years of experience. She helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, low self-esteem, and life transitions. She also addresses relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, parenting strain, and codependency. Her approach is respectful and compassionate, aimed at practical change rather than labels.

In sessions she listens first and then tailors conversation and goals to each person's needs. She uses straightforward tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to challenge unhelpful thoughts. She also draws on acceptance and commitment ideas to help people notice their values and take small, steady steps toward them.

Dr. Derby brings an attachment-informed perspective when relationship patterns are part of the problem. That helps when trust, abandonment, or communication issues keep repeating. She can also use skills from dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotional regulation and distress tolerance for intense moments.

Her style is collaborative and practical. Expect clear goals, simple exercises, and a focus on what changes you can make between sessions. She frames setbacks as information, not failure, and adjusts plans as needed to keep progress realistic.

To begin, she encourages a first step of answering a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a session. That initial process helps match priorities and set a workable plan for moving forward.

Approaches that shape online work and goals

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on noticing thoughts and choosing actions that match personal values. This helps people who feel stuck by worry, avoidance, or low motivation to take small, meaningful steps forward.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns influence current interactions. It is useful when abandonment, trust, or recurring communication problems keep showing up in close relationships.

Finding the right fit is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively to match approaches to a person's goals, needs, and preferences. Together they decide whether to emphasize thought-focused tools, values-based actions, emotion skills, or a mix of strategies.

Session format details were not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions help fit care into busy days by avoiding travel, making it easier to schedule a shorter check-in during a work break, or removing the need to be on camera for every visit. Licensed professionals can use different methods to teach skills, set goals, and track progress in ways that fit daily life.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions Self esteem DepressionCoaching

Also works with

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse Grief Intimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependency Commitment issues Communication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personality Divorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

Experience

25+ years

Credentials

Florida

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What types of concerns does she help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, low self-esteem, relationship and intimacy issues, codependency, grief, parenting strain, and coping with life changes.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her style is collaborative and practical. She listens, sets clear goals, and uses exercises clients can try between sessions.

How much experience does this therapist have?

She has 25 years of professional experience in mental health care and clinical work.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a Florida licensed mental health counselor, listed as LMHC, and practices in Florida.

Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are offered?

Session formats were not specified in the biography; please confirm current session options before booking.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started with Dr. Derby?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.