Online Therapy Services

Secure, accessible, and convenient video, phone, and text-based therapy

I specialize in working with:

·      Individuals who have experienced complex trauma

·      Autistic folks / neurodivergent folks

·      Gifted Individuals

·      Highly sensitive persons and empaths

·      Artists and creative types

·   Parents & caregivers of neurodivergent youth (who may or may not be neurodivergent themselves)

·   Parents and caregivers of youth who have experienced trauma

·   Gender expansive folks

Basics:

I’m a therapist who:

• Is queer and neurodivergent

• Deeply understands the impact of trauma

• Supports disability justice

• Aligns with anti-oppressive politics and practices

• Centers anti-ableist and neurodivergent-affirming practices

• Is sex-positive

• Has logged many hours of my own therapeutic work

• And more!

I am happy to be a resource for folks seeking a therapist who shares these identities, or aligns with these values.

In my work, I always aim to show up as my authentic self, and I invite you to do the same.  As a therapist who has done a lot of my own therapeutic work (20 years and counting!) – I understand the full range of emotions that can arise during therapy. I will hold space and be with you through whatever comes up - whether it is joy, shame, sadness, anger, laughter, or anything else under the sun. All of you is welcome here.

My Style:

I customize my work with each client based on their unique needs and goals. I pull from a wide-range of treatment modalities, including somatic frameworks, cognitive-based modalities, and everything in between.  At the heart of everything I do – I always recognize the role that the nervous system plays in the ways that we experience, understand, and move through the world. Overall, I operate from a perspective that is:

• Attachment-based

• Relational neuroscience-informed

• Trauma-knowledgeable

• Neurodivergent-affirming

• Acknowledges folks complexly

What happens in therapy?

I work with most clients to simultaneously:

• Develop tools and strategies that can be used to bring more ease and comfort to daily life in the present-moment

• Explore, process, and heal past hurts and deeper layers of “stuckness”

• Develop a deeper understanding of the challenges they’re facing, why they’re facing them, and what they can actually do about them

Broken down, this may include things like:

• Recognizing the impact of your past experiences on your current experiences of the world

• Understanding the patterns that may keep you feeling stuck

• Developing new ways to respond to old patterns, and handle automatic nervous system responses

• Understanding the deeper elements that create your current day-to-day challenges (so that we can go deeper than a bandaid fix, and address them holistically and fully)

• Exploring ways to navigate day-to-day struggles with more ease/understanding/confidence

• Developing tools and concrete skills that can be put into action right away to address the challenges you’re facing

• Exploring and identifying strategies that can be used to navigate current struggles – whether that is wading through ableism, setting boundaries, managing anxiety, or keeping up with life while navigating the impacts of trauma or disability etc.

• Leaning into neurodivergence, unmasking, identifying needs, and dismantling allistic world expectations/messaging

• And more

Therapy looks different for everyone, and I’m happy to work with you to figure out what will feel best for you. And if you have no idea - that is perfectly fine! We can figure it out together!

How does online therapy work?

The vast majority of my traditional sessions take place online through a secure video system, or over the phone. This enables clients to participate in therapy conveniently from the comfort of their favorite places. Online therapy is a quickly growing therapeutic modality, and research has shown that it is just as effective as in-person therapy. As both a clinician and client, I love it for its accessibility, effectiveness, and convenience.

(I also offer asynchronous therapeutic messaging as a therapy option, or live typing sessions for clients who are better suited by these modalities.)

Fees:

The full fee for individual therapy is $130-170/50 minute session.  I allow clients to place themselves on this scale at the intersection of affordability and value. I do have openings in the $130-170/50 minute fee range.

I also reserve 50% of my caseload for sliding scale services below this rate, with the intention of supporting equitable access to mental health care.* Currently, all of my sliding scale slots that slide below $130 are full. If you would like to be placed on a waiting list, please email me.

While both my full-fee and lower sliding scale system are a bit unconventional, this is the best way I’ve found to support equitable access to mental health care, while also ensuring that my own needs are met. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions about this system!

*Please note: Once someone has a sliding scale slot, they may continue in that slot until they no longer need/want services, and/or their financial situation changes in such a way that they no longer need a sliding scale slot. Thus, it is difficult for me to estimate when new slots may become available. However, I am happy to add you to the waitlist all the same!

Insurance:

I see both US and Canadian clients through my various licenses/registrations.

For Canadian clients: I’m happy to provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your private insurance, if applicable.

For US clients: am not in-network with any insurance companies. However, I’ll happily provide you with a superbill/receipt that you can use for out-of-network reimbursement. If you see PPO, POS, or “Out-of-network” on your insurance card, you likely have out of network benefits. (Some of my clients also choose to use Reimbursify, an app which will easily submit reimbursement claims to your insurance for you for a low fee.)

If this benefit is available to you through your insurance, these are the suggested steps:

1. Let’s chat to make sure we’re a fit together, and that our schedules align.

2. If we are, you can call and check with your insurance to see whether they cover out-of-network services or accept receipts for reimbursement. (My licensing numbers are listed below for your reference).

3. You’ll pay up front for my services

4. I’ll then provide you with a superbill and/or receipt that you need for reimbursement. You’ll submit this to your insurance.

5. Your insurance company can then reimburse you directly according to their policies.

LICENSING NUMBERS AND INFORMATION:

RSW: 831701 - Registered: Lacy Alana Shawn - (Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers)

CASW# 2023-2186 - Registered: Lacy Alana Shawn - (Canadian Association of Social Workers) 

LCSW: 54425 - Registered: Lacy Alana Shawn- (Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners)