01 · Who Shannon works with

Shannon works with stress, Anxiety, LGBT and eating disorders

Shannon lists 17 specialisms and 31 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Shannon chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Shannon's own words

What Shannon says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello! My name is Shannon Toy, but I prefer to go by my middle name, Julianne.

I live in Virginia, but hold licensed in 3 states. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Virginia, a Licensed Certified Social Worker- Clinical (LCSW-C) in Maryland, and a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Michigan. I have experience working with a wide variety of clients all the way from birth to elder care. I have worked in many different settings including homes, the community, courts, jails, hospitals, schools, and offices. I also have experience doing teletherapy in multiple different formats. I have 4 years of therapy experience, but before that I worked as a case manager, and volunteered with at risk youth and individuals with developmental disabilities for many years. I have worked as a crisis therapist to provide brief therapy and to provide interventions with individuals with at imminent risk, and have done both individual and group counseling.

My counseling style is solutions focused, and strengths based rather than problem focused. I am a true believer in client centered care, and believe that you should be included in every step of your care. Working with me means that I will advocate for you and work WITH you to empower you to live a happier and healthier life.

If you are ready to take the next steps to finding your version of a happier and healthier life, I am here to support you. I look forward to hearing from you, and can't wait to get started!

Shannon Julianne Toy, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Shannon works

The 6 approaches Shannon lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Shannon lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Shannon's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Shannon runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Shannon practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Shannon's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Shannon at this point.

2. Naming Shannon specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Shannon is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Shannon.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Shannon

Built from what Shannon actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Shannon's - Shannon has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMSW

Licensed in

Michigan

Licence

MI LMSW 6​8​0​1​1​0​9​0​2​5, MD LCSW-C 27505

Licence number

0904012947

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1538631528

Years in practice

7

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Shannon's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Shannon. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.