Shanita Burgess, LCMHC

Shanita Burgess is a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) based in North Carolina who focuses on helping people reduce burnout and overwhelming thoughts. She works with adults who are coping with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, career strain, and issues related to identity and self-worth. Shanita uses practical exercises and everyday language so conversations feel straightforward and useful.

Her approach is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, among other methods. She helps people spot the thoughts that drain their energy and test whether those thoughts are accurate. Sessions often involve breaking big problems into smaller steps and practicing new ways of thinking and acting between meetings.

Shanita also draws on client-centered techniques to follow each person’s priorities and strengths. Where helpful, she brings in mindfulness skills to reduce reactivity and DBT-informed tools to manage intense emotions. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused strategies are used to clarify goals and build momentum.

She has 11 years of clinical experience and works with concerns such as bipolar mood challenges, compassion fatigue, adoption and foster care questions, attachment issues, gender dysphoria, and HIV/AIDS related stress. Shanita explains concepts plainly and gives concrete homework so people can try small changes right away.

Therapy with Shanita is collaborative. She helps clients set realistic goals, practice new skills, and track small gains so daily life becomes more manageable and meaningful.

How Shanita’s Approaches Work Online

Shanita commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms by teaching new coping skills and practical steps. Client-centered therapy is also part of her work, meaning sessions follow the client’s priorities and use their strengths to guide change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy elements may be added to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills for intense feelings or overwhelming stress.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Shanita will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting techniques as progress is made. The plan is shaped together, with clear goals and simple practice tasks between sessions.

Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited, live chat can be useful for quick check-ins, and text-based messaging supports ongoing reflection and brief support between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or family routines while focusing on skill-building and steady progress.