PuttingFamilyFirst

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

SF Portrait of Shavonna Fitzgerald
Online therapist

Shavonna Fitzgerald

Practical support for families and parents

Book with Shavonna
Credentials
LCSW
Experience
10 years
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Shavonna

Shavonna Fitzgerald is a licensed clinical social worker who brings ten years of practice in New York. She focuses on building honest, straightforward connections first. She aims to make a space where parents and family members can talk about stress, parenting concerns, relationship strain, grief, and other life changes without feeling judged.

Her work has included helping survivors of domestic violence, people facing substance use challenges, and families needing support with conflict or transitions.

Background and approach

She has supported clients around anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem, addiction, ADHD, and issues that affect family life and parenting. In sessions she leans on practical, evidence-informed approaches such as client-centered work, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practices, motivational interviewing, and narrative techniques.

That means she listens first, then uses simple tools to help people notice patterns, change unhelpful thoughts, and try new behaviors that fit their family roles. Shavonna describes her style as warm, straightforward, and culturally aware. She adapts plans to each family or individual instead of using a single template.

Parents can expect short, focused conversations that lead to doable steps for home and relationships. She holds a New York LCSW, license number NY LCSW 093261. Sessions are conducted in English and are offered through a mix of live video, phone, chat, and messaging to accommodate busy family schedules.

Approaches for online family and parenting work

Online sessions often use cognitive behavioral therapy and client-centered methods to help parents and family members notice unhelpful thoughts, test new reactions, and strengthen positive routines. CBT breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions to create small, practical changes that can improve daily family life.

She also uses mindfulness techniques to help people stay present and reduce reactivity during stressful moments with children or partners. Mindfulness involves brief breathing and attention exercises that can be practiced between sessions to calm strong emotions and improve parenting responses.

Choosing the right approach is collaborative. The therapist will listen to your goals and try methods that fit your family situation. Together you can adjust strategies based on what helps most, combining tools from different approaches when useful.

Online therapy via video, phone, live chat, or text messaging makes it easier to fit sessions around school, work, and caregiving. These options offer flexibility so parents can connect from home, follow up with short messages between appointments, and use practical techniques in real time when family issues arise.

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.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationship and family problems, trauma and abuse, parenting, grief, depression, addictions, ADHD, and other life changes.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her approach is client-centered and straightforward, combining practical techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and narrative work to help people change patterns and try new behaviors.
What background does she bring to sessions?
She has ten years of experience as a licensed social worker in New York and has worked with survivors of domestic violence, families, individuals with substance use issues, and forensic mental health settings.
Where is she licensed and based?
She practices in New York and holds the credential LCSW with license number NY LCSW 093261.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted; she sees clients licensed for practice in New York.
How are sessions delivered and what formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and family needs.
How does cost and starting therapy work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time; to begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
10 years
Licensed
New York
Languages
English

Next step

Talk to Shavonna

  • Takes a few minutes
  • Nothing to set up just to look
  • Stop at any point
Book with Shavonna