01 · Who Shawnte' works with

Shawnte' works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Shawnte' lists 17 specialisms and 15 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Shawnte' chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Shawnte''s own words

What Shawnte' says about the work

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

Hi, I am so glad that you decided to look at my profile. My name is Shawnte’ Gates and I am Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina. I am also a National Certified Counselor. I have over 13 years experience working in the mental health field. I have worked in a variety of settings including residential, in-home and out patient.

I have extensive experience providing quality services for adults and children. Helping others is truly a passion of mine. I enjoy encouraging clients to be their best self and teaching and reviewing techniques to overcome anxiety, depression and building their self esteem. I have an understanding that things may not always be easy however, in techniques of changing your way of thinking and reviewing skills there are ways to overcome and be an even better you. I will do the best that I can, to help you overcome obstacles and allow you to make the best decisions for you.

I use a person-centered, holistic, multicultural, and integrative approach in treatment. What does all of that mean? I begin where you are and I tailor the treatment approach to your needs while being sensitive to your individual cultural identities and lifestyle choices that impacts your experience. I primarily use evidence based techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing and solution-focused counseling.

I would describe my style as warm and supportive. I provide a nonjudgmental environment. Collaboration is important and in working together we can establish concrete goals and steps to help you overcome your current concerns or obstacles. Therapy should be a service/place where people feel safe and comfortable sharing their thoughts, feelings, experiences and more without being judged.

It takes courage to take the next steps towards change and it would be my pleasure to support and help you achieve your goals, that have always been within you!

Shawnte' Gates, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Shawnte' works

The 6 approaches Shawnte' lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Shawnte' lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Shawnte''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 Shawnte' runs a session.

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.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

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.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Shawnte' 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 Shawnte''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 Shawnte' at this point.

2. Naming Shawnte' specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Shawnte' 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 Shawnte'.

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 Shawnte'

Built from what Shawnte' actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Shawnte''s - Shawnte' 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

LCMHC

Licensed in

North Carolina

Licence

NC LCMHC 11816

Licence number

11816

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1932565843

Years in practice

10

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Shawnte''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 Shawnte'. 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.