Angela Shankman (She/they)

I am an LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapist and strive to help my LGBTQIA+ clients fully love their identities. Identifying as LGBTQIA+ can come with a wide range of issues, such as fear of coming out, anxiety, depression, isolation and misunderstanding, family issues, social issues, self esteem issues, substance use, and more. I am happy to work with LGBTQIA+ client individually or within the context of family therapy, but strive to find ways to increase support for the LGBTQIA+ person.

I offer support for those who are experiencing negative consequences from substance use. I use a soft, nonjudgmental approach to explore how substance use has impacted their life and potential consequences for the future. I support in creating awareness around emotions and thoughts underneath the substance use, increasing positive coping skills, and creating relapse prevention plans. I offer support engaging with other resources like 12 Step Meetings, Psychiatrists, and inpatient treatment.

Teen years are full of their own unique challenges. I offer support for a variety of teen issues, such as anxiety, anger, depression, disruptive behavior, substance use, and distress. I support with improving communication and relationships with family members, friends, peers, and other people in a teen's life. I also support with future planning, such as exploring strengths that can be applied to a college major or career, and reducing any barriers to living at one's full potential!

Life Coaching is a great service for teens and young adults who are not in need of therapy but are interested in getting support in starting their lives as an adult. Life coaching is a solution focused, practical service that can include, but is not limited to, gaining clarity on career choices, learning skills such as personal organization, or addressing barriers to taking on adult responsibilities. Life coaching focuses on the here and now, and does not dive deeply in past stressors / traumas.

Life Coaching is a great service for teens and young adults who are not in need of therapy but are interested in getting support in starting their lives as an adult. Life coaching is a solution focused, practical service that can include, but is not limited to, gaining clarity on career choices, learning skills such as personal organization, or addressing barriers to taking on adult responsibilities. Life coaching focuses on the here and now, and does not dive deeply in past stressors / traumas.

Equine Assisted Life Coaching holds a variety of opportunities in connecting with your inner child, your inner playfulness and innocence, increasing your own self awareness, and learning to enhance your communication in relationships. Equine is a great therapeutic activity for those who have low self esteem, have relationship issues, have difficulty communicating how they are feeling, have been engaging in substance use, or are interested in connecting to animals and nature as a coping skill.

Equine Assisted Life Coaching holds a variety of opportunities in connecting with your inner child, your inner playfulness and innocence, increasing your own self awareness, and learning to enhance your communication in relationships. Equine is a great therapeutic activity for those who have low self esteem, have relationship issues, have difficulty communicating how they are feeling, have been engaging in substance use, or are interested in connecting to animals and nature as a coping skill.

CBT explores the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and holds that changing your thoughts can help you change your feelings and behaviors. CBT is a very logical, straightforward approach to exploring your situation, and rewiring your mindset into a healthier one. CBT pairs well with other types of therapy, such as mindfulness, play therapy, art therapy, addiction counseling, anger management, and more. I never use CBT alone, but it is a great foundation for healing.

CBT explores the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and holds that changing your thoughts can help you change your feelings and behaviors. CBT is a very logical, straightforward approach to exploring your situation, and rewiring your mindset into a healthier one. CBT pairs well with other types of therapy, such as mindfulness, play therapy, art therapy, addiction counseling, anger management, and more. I never use CBT alone, but it is a great foundation for healing.

Trauma is an experience that overwhelms your internal resources for coping. Trauma and Distress arise from a variety of different experiences in one's life. Trauma and distress can look like anxiety, depression, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, flashbacks, nightmares, substance use, feeling numb or feeling "spaced out", lapses in memory not due to substance use or a medical condition, and obvious changes in normal daily behavior.

The specific somatic approach I am certified in is Compassionate Inquiry. CI is inspired by many models of therapy and psychobiological models, including but not limited to IFS, Somatic Experiencing, Attachment Work, Interpersonal Neurobiology. CI helps us to explore the root of current triggers and perceptions by connecting back to our bodies to access implicit body memories from childhood to release emotional energy that has been trapped.

Internal Family Systems, or parts work, helps us to gain awareness into the different parts of ourselves and what functions they serve. IFS also helps us to see how our internal parts are communicating with each other, such as when we are having an inner conflict, or a defense mechanism comes up to protect us from pain. As a "Fun IFS Fact", the Pixar movie "Inside Out", although more simplistic, has been deemed to have some parts work credibility from the found of IFS himself.

Internal Family Systems, or parts work, helps us to gain awareness into the different parts of ourselves and what functions they serve. IFS also helps us to see how our internal parts are communicating with each other, such as when we are having an internal conflict, or a defense mechanism comes up to protect us from pain. As a "Fun IFS Fact", the Pixar movie "Inside Out", although more simplistic, has been deemed to have some parts work credibility from the founder of IFS himself.