Heather Shannon, LCPC, CST
Certified Sex Therapist & Clinical Supervisor
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Thanks for your curiosity about working with Heather! Heather works with psychotherapy clients as well as other therapists–therapists please scroll all the way down. Check out the answers below and let us know if you have remaining questions by using the “Contact Us” form on the right. If you’re interested in working with Heather, please select the “Book Free Consult” button above and find a time to chat!
FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY & COACHING CLIENTS
Heather is both a psychotherapist AND a coach, so which one should I choose?
Great question! Both options will help you work towards goals, get some 1-on-1 support and learn something about yourself in the process.
Psychotherapy is meant to address mental health concerns and medical record keeping requires that you will receive a mental health diagnosis. If you plan to use insurance, psychotherapy must be deemed “medically necessary” in order for you to receive insurance coverage, which means that your presenting problems are getting in the way of your functioning either personally, socially or in your work setting. Examples might include sexual dysfunction, attachment disorders, adjustment disorder (trouble with transitions) or social anxiety. Sessions are generally conducted in-person or occasionally via teletherapy (but you must still be in the state of Illinois where Heather is licensed and your insurance might not cover teletherapy). If you are not using insurance, your presenting problems don’t need to be “medically necessary,” but you will still receive a diagnosis code of some kind.
Coaching is action-oriented. It is meant to help people who are already functioning in a normal, healthy range to address goals and get support and accountability in doing so. Examples of presenting goals for coaching include developing and implementing a health and wellness plan for yourself, strategically improving sex & relationships, developing your spirituality or advancing along your career path. Coaching does not require licensure and is not limited by state lines, so can be conducted via phone or Skype from anywhere in the world. Coaching is not covered by insurance since it is an unlicensed profession and not considered medically necessary.
What goals will Heather help me work on?
It would be impossible to list them all here, but Heather’s main clinical interests are sex and relationships. This may include dating anxiety, exploring attachment styles, creating healthy boundaries in relationships, increasing emotional intimacy, managing relationships with difficult people, difficulty orgasming, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, exploring kink, exploring monogamy and non-monogamy, infidelity, sex/porn addiction, gender exploration, gender transitioning, sexual trauma, etc.
Heather also works with LOTS of clients addressing concerns related to anxiety in all forms and helps clients generally creating a holistic, healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.
What approach does Heather take?
Heather is very person-centered and rather than focusing on a specific technique to use with all people who come into her office, she focuses on what feels like the right fit for you and your goals. That said, she has a few favorites in her toolbox!
- Holistic Health. Heather’s approach is rooted in holistic health and taking a mind-body-spirit approach. Specifically, she knows way too much about genetic mutations and digestion (both of which impact mental health a lot!) and will probably refer you to a functional medicine doctor at some point if you have health complaints–get ready!
- Mindfulness. Heather has been a meditator since 2005 and officially Buddhist since 2009. She loves to incorporate elements of mindfulness into her work including meditation and compassion practices as well as non-judgment and acceptance.
- Hypnosis. No, you will not quack like a duck! Hypnosis can be a great way to relax (while fully aware of what’s going on) and let your intuition take the reigns.
- Attachment. Heather believes many of our concerns are related to underlying attachment wounds we’ve accumulated throughout life. She loves to educate clients about attachment and help them learn how to make healthy choices and set healthy boundaries in relationships.
- Positive Psychology. Heather is a major cheerleader for her clients and loves to help people recognize and focus on what they’re good at and enjoy. Plus, research shows you make WAY more progress that way!
- Internal Family Systems. Also called “parts work,” IFS helps clients get a better understanding of how various parts of themselves may be at odds, creating a sense of frustration or stuckness. Healing the relationship amongst our various parts can lead to great improvements in how we feel and function.
Who is a good fit to work with Heather?
Heather has a particular passion for working with other entrepreneurs and empaths. Clients that tend to be a good fit like to “go deep” with their personal growth work and may be described as out-of-the-box thinkers, intelligent and spiritually inclined. All ages, races, sexual orientations and gender identities are very welcome!
What is Heather like?
Heather is pretty casual and likes to make new clients feel welcome and at home in therapy. It doesn’t have to be a scary or intimidating process–you can expect some humor during sessions! She can be described as progressive in her views and incredibly open-minded (top 1% on Openness on the Big 5 Personality Test), so you can expect a non-judgmental attitude no matter what you bring to sessions.
Heather is a serial entrepreneur and operates two full-time AirBnB listings and an office rental business in addition to her private practice. She loves learning and trying new things and is currently taking drum lessons and planning her next travel adventure.
What is Heather’s background?
Heather’s undergrad is in Finance, so suffice it to say she’s a career changer! In 2004, Heather got her Master’s in School Counseling and worked as a High School Counselor for 6 years, starting her private practice at the end of 2011 and going full-time into private practice in 2012.
Heather dedicated significant time to learning about and spreading the message of holistic health. She earned a 10-month health coaching certificate in 2011 and has also completed formal training in how genetic mutations impact mental (and physical!) health. She served as Chairperson of the wellness committee at East Leyden High School and Co-Chair of the Health Coaches of Chicago. Heather also authored a blog for the American Counseling Association and has published a textbook chapter on nutritional stress-management strategies for Stress in the Modern World by ABC-CLIO Publishing.
Heather’s post-degree professional development training includes topics such as: Integrative Eye Movement, Solution-Focused Therapy, Attachment Theory, Embodied Wellness, Ericksonian Hypnosis, Internal Family Systems, Mental Health First Aid and Gottman Levels 1 & 2 Couples Counseling. Heather remains invested in ongoing professional development about sex, intimacy and relationships. In her personal time, Heather has completed 15+ mindfulness courses, several meditation retreats and countless hours of self-education on digestive disorders and testing.
Heather is a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors & Therapists (AASECT).
How does payment work and what are my options?
Psychotherapy (Illinois residents only):
You may pay out-of-pocket or use your HSA or FSA accounts to cover the costs of psychotherapy. If you are interested in teletherapy services rather than in-person, check with your HSA or FSA company to make sure that is a covered service. You *may* also use out-of-network insurance benefits to cover psychotherapy costs. In this case, call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask if you have a separate deductible for out-of-network services and what percentage of costs will be covered once you hit that deductible. Additionally, in order for sessions to be covered by your out-of-network benefits, they should be deemed “medically necessary.” Relationship concerns and couples counseling are not typically covered by insurance unless the person whose insurance is being used has a diagnosable mental health condition that is being treated concurrently. If you would like to use your out-of-network benefits, Heather will provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance plan for reimbursement of costs. In this case, you should also make sure you are comfortable with your insurance company receiving your diagnosis code.
Coaching:
Coaching sessions are all out-of-pocket and not billable to insurance.
FOR THERAPISTS
Can Heather supervise me toward my clinical licensure?
Maybe. If you have a Master’s in Counseling and are working on an LCPC in Illinois (regardless of whether you have your LPC currently), Heather can provide supervision toward your LCPC (clinical license). Heather transitioned from a school counselor to a counselor in private practice and also paid for her own outside supervision. She is especially interested in helping other school counselors make this transition. She is also adept in supervising counselors interested in a holistic model of therapy. If you are a social worker, marriage and family therapist or psychologist, Heather is not eligible to provide you with supervision towards licensure. However, Heather is able to provide consultation (see below) for any psychotherapist who already has their clinical license. If you are interested in supervision, please schedule a free consultation to make sure it is a great fit for you!
Can Heather provide consultation on cases for therapists who already have clinical licenses?
Absolutely! Heather has completed the 18 hours of required supervision training for counselors and has managed 15+ employees and interns over the years with varying degrees of experience. She loves working on cases related to therapist triggers, boundaries and ethics as well as helping therapists incorporate holistic approaches to help clients (and themselves) get “unstuck.” If you’re interested in an ongoing consultation relationship, please schedule a free consultation to make sure it’s a great fit! If you’d just like a 1-off consultation, go ahead and schedule a full consultation session using the same link above.
Can I get consultation for private practice business matters ?
Heather has an extremely unique perspective on private and group practice ownership. Having been self-employed as a psychotherapist since 2011 and having worked with independent contractors, employees, vendors and office managers over the years, Heather can help you with nearly all your management concerns. She has worked in solo practice, with a business partner, as the owner of a group practice and now as a solo provider who rents out office suite space to other providers in a collaborative model. She has been very hands on at times and has also left the country for 3 months while owning a group practice. Based on her varied and diverse business experiences, Heather can work with you to help you design your ideal practice and lifestyle right from the start, resolve your feelings of career misalignment, create an exit plan and/or improve your digital marketing performance. Schedule your free consultation with Heather to discuss your goals and make sure it’s a great fit!