Leah Shanks, LPC-MHSP - Therapist in Tennessee

About Leah

Leah Shanks is a licensed professional counselor with 15 years of experience supporting people through life’s hardest moments. She is licensed in Tennessee as an LPC-MHSP and focuses on practical help for stress, anxiety, trauma, mood concerns, and issues related to eating and body image. She explains things plainly and centers each conversation on the person in front of her.

Leah takes a strengths-based view - she treats clients as experts on their own lives and helps them build on what already works.

Background and approach

In sessions she listens, asks clear questions, and offers straightforward tools to try between meetings. Many clients come for relief from panic, low mood, or trouble coping after big changes. Her training includes cognitive behavioral methods and trauma-focused approaches, along with mindfulness and body-centered work.

That range lets her pick tools that match the problem and the person. For someone recovering from past hurt, she may use trauma processing methods that also pay attention to physical responses. Leah works with people who struggle with compassion fatigue, parenting stress, relationship strain, grief, and attention-related challenges.

She aims for short, doable steps that make daily life calmer and more manageable. She provides care in English and practices across Tennessee. The first step is a brief matching questionnaire to connect with her and schedule a session when it fits.

How Leah’s approaches translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building on a person’s strengths. In online sessions this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, asks open questions, and helps set goals that feel doable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches specific skills for managing anxiety, panic, and low mood. Online CBT often uses short skill practice and check-ins between meetings to track progress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Leah will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then suggest which methods to try first. That choice is collaborative and can change as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, follow up quickly, and try short skill check-ins between meetings. For people juggling parenting, work, or medical appointments, the range of formats can make care more accessible and practical.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

EMDR

A structured protocol used with distressing memories, pairing recall with guided attention tasks. Some therapists adapt it for video sessions; whether that fits is worth asking about directly.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help with?

Leah works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, eating and body image issues, self esteem, depression, grief, parenting challenges, anger, ADHD, and related mood and panic concerns.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

She uses a straightforward, strengths-based style and treats clients as experts on their lives while offering practical tools to try between sessions.

What is her background and experience?

She has 15 years of professional work experience and has helped people with trauma, anxiety, eating concerns, and motivation and confidence issues.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is licensed in Tennessee as LPC-MHSP with license number TN LPC-MHSP 3900.

Which languages and international options are available?

Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients.

What session formats are offered?

Sessions can be conducted by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.

How does pricing work?

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

How do I start a session with her?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 15 years
Licensed: Tennessee
Languages: English

Next step

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