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SM Portrait of Shawn Mcgivern

Shawn Mcgivern

Compassionate therapist focused on practical change

LMHC Massachusetts

Experience
27 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse
Approaches
Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages
English

About Shawn

Shawn Mcgivern is a licensed mental health counselor with 27 years of experience. She focuses on practical work that helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles.

Background and approach

Shawn is based in Massachusetts and offers down-to-earth support for people facing big life changes or persistent emotional pain. Shawn draws from approaches such as the Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, client-centered work, and cognitive behavioral techniques.

In sessions she helps people notice patterns, name difficult feelings, and try small experiments to change daily habits. The focus is on skills that make everyday life feel easier and relationships more connected.

She works with concerns ranging from trauma and grief to intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping problems, parenting pressures, and career stress. Shawn also helps with attachment struggles, abandonment, blended family adjustments, codependency, and communication problems.

Her approach attends both to emotional wounds and to practical steps clients can take between sessions. Shawn aims for a collaborative style.

She listens first, then partners with each person to set clear goals and try techniques that fit their life. Sessions balance empathy with concrete tools for managing emotions and improving interactions with others.

People who come to Shawn can expect straightforward, respectful care that honors identity and experience. She supports LGBT concerns and helps people facing separation, caregiving stress, body image, and self-esteem challenges.

The work is paced to each person’s needs and priorities.

Approaches that guide online sessions and relationship work

Shawn often combines Gottman-informed work with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based ideas. The Gottman-informed work focuses on communication patterns, rebuilding connection, and practical routines that reduce conflict in relationships. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify values, accept difficult feelings, and take small value-driven steps toward change. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape current bonds and helps people develop more supported ways of relating.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shawn will listen to your goals, try methods that match your needs, and adjust strategies based on what helps. Sessions are paced to your comfort and focus on practical changes you can use between meetings.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video is useful for face-to-face connection and deeper conversational work. Phone sessions can fit a quick check-in or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, coaching-style support, or when written reflection helps you process between sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Shawn help with?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and a range of life transitions. Additional areas include eating and sleeping problems, parenting strain, career stress, and identity concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Shawn uses a collaborative, empathetic style that mixes listening with skill-building. Sessions often combine talking through feelings with practical exercises to try between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 27 years of clinical experience supporting people with mood, trauma, relationship, and identity concerns. That background guides a steady, experienced approach in session.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is MA LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor practicing in Massachusetts.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Shawn offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Shawn?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Also works with

LGBTFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoaching

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyGottman MethodImago Relationship TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

27+ years

Licensed in

Massachusetts

Languages

English