PuttingFamilyFirst

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SM Portrait of Dr. Shakena Mabry
Online therapist

Dr. Shakena Mabry

Compassionate support for family and life challenges

Credentials
LCSW
Experience
12 years
Licensed in
Maryland, District of Columbia, New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Shakena

Dr. Shakena Mabry is a licensed clinical social worker with twelve years of experience. She practices in Maryland and helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, parenting concerns, relationship strain, and addiction.

She focuses on practical support that fits everyday life. Her approach treats the person, not just a label, and she aims to make the first step feel manageable. Dr.

Mabry believes people hold important knowledge about their own stories.

Background and approach

She brings that out with a calm, respectful style and uses tools that match each person’s needs. Sessions are straightforward and goal-oriented, with attention to coping skills and clearer communication in family life. Her background includes work across mood disorders, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, and multicultural concerns.

She draws on several well-established therapy methods to address symptoms and patterns that interfere with daily functioning. That mix helps when problems involve both feelings and behavior. When trauma is part of the picture, she can use approaches that target painful memories while keeping the person grounded.

For mood and anxiety issues she often uses strategies that shift unhelpful thoughts and build new routines. For parenting and family strains she focuses on clear problem solving and improving interactions. Dr.

Mabry uses a collaborative process. She listens first, then offers tools and experiments to try between sessions. Her goal is to help people find workable changes they can keep using after therapy ends.

Therapeutic approaches for online family and life challenges

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on helping people notice what matters most to them and take small steps toward those values even when feelings are difficult. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions where avoidance gets in the way. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It often helps with mood problems, anxiety, and building reliable coping routines. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, EMDR, targets distress tied to specific traumatic memories and can reduce the emotional intensity of those memories while strengthening coping skills.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. She collaborates with each person to identify goals, try methods, and adjust based on what helps. That process means the therapist and client decide together which techniques fit the situation and the person’s preferences.

Online options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Those formats make it easier to fit sessions around parenting, work, and daily life. They also allow ongoing check-ins and practice between meetings, so tools learned in sessions can be applied in real time.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

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.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family problems, parenting issues, addiction, trauma and related concerns such as grief and self-esteem.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She listens first, then offers specific tools and steps clients can try between sessions.
How long has she practiced?
She has twelve years of professional experience working with a range of mood, trauma, and family-related challenges.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - with licenses NY LCSW 097819 and PA LCSW CW023750, and she practices in Maryland.
Which languages are supported and can international clients work with her?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does she offer?
Sessions are available as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to therapist availability.

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