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Shawna Pankonin, LPC

Experienced mental health professional

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

At a glance

Shawna is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

5.0 stars
Clients are very satisfied with Shawna. View 55 reviews
Great news, Shawna is accepting new clients!
She is normally fully-booked.
Speaks English
Offers Telehealth visits
Licensed in Mississippi

Recent reviews

Shawna Pankonin has given me the strength and push I needed to get through this season of my life. I couldn’t have made it through the last few weeks without her!

Reviewed November 2024

Shawna is incredible! She makes me feel so comfortable discussing topics I wouldn’t discuss with others. She is a kind soul and wonderful at her profession.

Reviewed July 2024

More about Shawna

  • 14 years' experience
  • Female
  • LPC

Hello, and thank you for taking your time to learn more about me! My name is Shawna, I am a licensed professional counselor in the state of Mississippi. I have over 12 years’ experience working in the mental health field. I have worked in a variety of settings including: in homes, providing residential level of care therapy services, schools, youth court systems throughout the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, outpatient services, as well as a Child Advocacy Center. Although that seems like a mouthful, it simply means that I have had experience working in a several different settings, with a broad range of clinical issues. I believe the best way to truly understand what someone is going through is to understand where they come from, let them be the expert on themselves and provide the services they need to help them succeed. I have the most experience working with stress reduction, anxiety, depression, anger management, family conflict, parenting skills, relationship conflict, and complex trauma/abuse. I also have experience with a wide variety of mental health disorders.

My dedication to the field of mental health stems from years of working with children, adolescents and their families, in state custody; along with watching friends and family members struggle with mental illness. I have seen firsthand that having mental health concerns can be difficult and cause feelings of despair and isolation; not to mention the process for getting help can be overwhelming. However, I also know from experience how much life can change for the better when you find the right support and take steps towards taking care of yourself!

I use a person-centered, holistic, and eclectic approach in treatment, meaning I begin where you are and tailor my treatment approach to your needs while being sensitive to how your personal thoughts, beliefs and lifestyle choices impact your experience. I primarily use evidence based techniques including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused counseling. However, I do incorporate more "classical" approaches to counseling as well. I would describe my style as warm and supportive, but I am ready to help you tackle your struggle head-on. I am very creative and do not like to conform our sessions into something that will place a box around it. I want it to go where it needs to go for you to get what you need to feel empowered and in control. Remember, no one is a magician. No one can "fix" your situation. It will take time and hard work on your part to make the changes you want. If you're willing to put in the work, I'm willing to walk alongside you and work as well! Together we can work on establishing goals and steps for you to understand the problem and gain the confidence to move forward and feel more in control of your life. Throughout my years of practice I’ve found a recurrent theme: the need to be heard, to be validated, and to know you are not alone!

Specialties

Stress Anxiety Relationship issues Trauma and abuse Depression LGBT Family conflicts Grief Parenting issues Self esteem Career difficulties Bipolar disorder Adoption and foster care Blended family issues Caregiver issues and stress Codependency Commitment issues Communication problems Control issues Coping with natural or human-caused disaster Dependent personality Divorce and separation Domestic violence Family of origin issues Family problems Fatherhood issues Fertility issues Guilt and shame Impulsivity Infidelity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Veteran and Armed Forces Issues Mood disorders Multicultural concerns Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacks Paranoia Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships Postpartum depression Pregnancy and childbirth Prejudice and discrimination Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Self-harm Self-love Social anxiety and phobia Visually impaired Women's issues Workplace issues Young adult issues

Treatment Approaches

  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Mindfulness Therapy
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Solution-Focused Therapy
  • Trauma-Focused Therapy

Licenses

Shawna Pankonin's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1568949139.

  • LPC · Mississippi · 1841 · Expires June 2026

About online counseling

Affordable.
Pay a low flat fee.
Convenient.
Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
Available now.
There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.

Online counseling, also known as teletherapy, is a method of delivering mental health services through digital means such as video conferencing, phone calls, or messaging platforms. It can be an ideal option for individuals who have difficulty accessing traditional therapy due to geographical distance, time constraints, or personal preferences like privacy and comfort. Many people find it easier to open up from the familiarity of their own space.

Teletherapy has been found to be highly effective, with studies showing that it can produce similar outcomes to in-person therapy, particularly for issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The flexibility and accessibility it offers make it a valuable alternative to conventional therapy settings.

Reviews for Shawna Pankonin

All reviews have been submitted by clients after seeing the provider.

Overall rating:

5.0

55 reviews

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4
3
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Clients mention: Great Helped Recommend Wonderful Amazing Easy Anxiety Comfortable Listens Support

Shawna Pankonin has given me the strength and push I needed to get through this season of my life. I couldn’t have made it through the last few weeks without her!

Reviewed November 2024

Shawna is incredible! She makes me feel so comfortable discussing topics I wouldn’t discuss with others. She is a kind soul and wonderful at her profession.

Reviewed July 2024

Awesome job and great listener.

Reviewed June 2024

Shawna is incredible. Her perspective and expertise allow you to implement healthy coping strategies and gain confidence. She is able to set realistic goals with you that give you the tools to improve your mental health. She is the best!

Reviewed May 2024

Shawna has been such an incredibly valuable guide through the process of healing from past wounds and developing better resources for life now. She consistently surprises me; I almost never leave a session without some new insight into a difficulty I'm facing. She is down-to-earth, a straight shooter, and has great wisdom to offer about how to self-regulate not just in times of high stress, but throughout the little stressors of the everyday. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work with her.

Reviewed March 2024

Shawna is fantastic!! She has a warm inviting personality that makes you feel at home. Her knowledge and help has done so much for my mental health and it would be worth your every second to choose her as your therapist.

Reviewed January 2024

I have really benefited from my sessions with shawna. I recommend this app to all my friends

Reviewed November 2020

Shawna has been a wonderful counselor - she understands my issues and where they come from; respects me; listens to me; offers excellent, practical advice; and most importantly, helps me make my life more manageable.

Reviewed September 2019

Really great, sweet and understanding.

Reviewed April 2019

Shawna has been a hugely positive influence in my life. She takes my concerns and negative behaviors I would like to work on and offers me great advice and methods for self improvement. I feel I am becoming a happier and mentally healthier person on a weekly basis and would recommend her to anyone. Thank you Shawna!

Reviewed February 2019

Shawna is a wonderful therapist, she respects and me and works with me, and she always follows through on what she says she will do. She really tries to understand me and make plans for me that reflect my personality and individuality. She is really helping me and I’m so grateful.

Reviewed November 2018

I love talking to Shawna, she's just wonderful. And my partner loves her, both for me and for us.

Reviewed November 2023

I had never participated in therapy before finding Better Help. I had hit a brick wall and realized that I had to find some help. I immediately felt comfortable with Shawna. She not only listened..she helped me feel heard and finally understood. I would highly recommend her for anyone.

Reviewed November 2023

She is great and I have used her off and on for several years. She knows my history and I don't have to remind her.

Reviewed August 2023

Shawna is wonderful human being who has not only listened to my primary concerns but has given me insight on how to deal with my stresses. She gets on video chat and right away, puts her focus on how I am doing. She is caring, knowledgeable, and very supportive. I strongly recommend her for needs regarding anxiety, relationships, and stress.

Reviewed April 2023

Shawna has been a huge support for me over the last few weeks! I have enjoyed my sessions with her, and her perspective on my current life situation has been extremely helpful. I look forward to continuing my work with her.

Reviewed December 2022

Shawna has helped me through some of the most difficult events that I have gone through in my life. She is very reliable, professional, caring, and empathetic. I have been seeing Shawna since 2019 and could not ask for a better counselor!!

Reviewed December 2022

Shawna is a great listener and she gives great guidance for navigating anxiety and stress. I was comfortable with her from day one and always looking forward to our sessions.

Reviewed November 2022

I have been talking to Shawna for little over 6 months now. I suffered from anxiety and stress paired with a somewhat low self image. Shawna is such an incredible listener and has given me useful and hands on tools to help. I really feel like a different guy than when I started this journey. I would highly recommend Shawna if you are looking for someone who makes you feel at ease, has a lot of humor, a clear and hands on approach and is good at mirroring you. My sessions are always light ( even if the subject matter is heavy) and I always have more energy coming out. Very thankful for her amazing help!

Reviewed November 2022

Shawna is so helpful and kind and I feel like she actually understands me fully. It is so nice having someone to talk to every week.

Reviewed November 2021

Shawana is the absolute best! She’s everything and more you could ever want in a therapist.

Reviewed September 2021

An amazing listener & an even better problem solver. She never fails to give me more than one way to work through / look at a situation & always takes your strong & weak points into account. Have never felt unsafe & I am always heard!

Reviewed May 2021

I have been speaking to Shawna for a few months regarding anxiety I was experiencing during a difficult time in a romantic relationship. She provided an incredibly safe and positive space to talk through the issues and share ways of handling the anxiety and gave me new ways of understanding myself and my needs moving forward. I'd strongly recommend her :)

Reviewed January 2021

Shawna has extensive experience with school counseling which comes really useful as I am an elementary school teacher. I feel like Shawna understands the settings well and can give me very good work related advice. For my personal life also, I feel like Shawna can relate to my experiences and often openly talks about her own experiences in similar situations which puts things into perspective. She introduces a variety of CBT tools which help change your point of view and develop as a person.

Reviewed December 2020

Shawna is very empathetic! She really cares and truly wants to help. She provided me with some great advice and tools to get through a very difficult time in my life. Thanks again Shawna! Keep shining ;)

Reviewed November 2020

Shawna is knowledgeable, quick to respond and a great listener.

Reviewed July 2020

After a few sessions with Shawna I can feel a lot of positive changes within my life. She is incredibly compassionate, motivational and good at suggesting positive coping techniques. I enjoy our sessions together and her ability to understand and relate to what I have to say. This is my third therapist in life and she has been so natural and easy for me to talk to in comparison to my previous therapy experiences.

Reviewed June 2020

Shawna is great. She really listens to me and is also compassionate and kind. She has helped me to overcome several issues I had been dealing with.

Reviewed June 2020

Shawna is the best therapist I've ever had. She is great at sympathising, understanding you, pushing you when necessary and offering practical tips.

Reviewed April 2020

I like working with Shawna, she's really good at listening but also refocusing the conversation to be productive. She's friendly and calm and really easy to talk to. I definitely feel like I can contact her when I need to and she's quick at responding. Really level headed and also direct at calling out crazy situations/identifying them objectively.

Reviewed March 2020

Shawna is the second counselor I have been matched with. After only a few sessions I am so very grateful for our time. She is just the kindest soul, she makes you feel so incredibly comfortable and fills you with warmth. I thought this service was quite expensive but wanted to give it a go, I now feel it's actually kind of on the cheap side for what I am receiving. The appreciation can't really be conveyed in words. Thank you, really, you are saving me.

Reviewed January 2020

Shawna is a wonderful human being who actively listens, understands and provides insight and further guidance. I appreciate her endlessly and she has been a great counselor to me so far. I got very lucky with who was assigned to me, and am so thankful!

Reviewed November 2019

She was lovely and patient with me. Definitely helped me clear up all my worries.

Reviewed November 2019

Shawna works really great for me as a therapist as she combines practical tips with talking therapy. She doesn't make me feel judged, is understanding and easy to talk to.

Reviewed November 2019

Absolutely amazing. She was such a wonderful help to me during the worst time of my life. She listened patiently and offered great ideas and tools to help me get thru and be able to handle things on my own. I would highly recommend her as a counselor.

Reviewed September 2019

Shawna is a very professional no nonsense councillor who tells you how it is.

Reviewed September 2019

Shawna has been a constant support for me over the last few months whilst I've had a whole range of issues going on. She helped me set up practical tools for managing situations, personalizing them to my exact situation. Most importantly though, every week she remembered everything we'd discussed, brought genuine warmth and compassion, and made me feel totally at ease. I'm in a good spot to put everything into practice on my own, but know I can connect again if I need some support!

Reviewed September 2019

Shawna is an amazing counselor. I have tried with about three previous counselor that I didn’t connect with, but I instantly felt that Shawna was an intelligent, experienced, and compassionate person. She is easy to talk to, she teaches me techniques to address my issues, and she encourages me to keep working towards my goals. She also sent me very helpful resources to read at the end of my first session. I finally feel that I’m getting the help that I have needed for so long.

Reviewed September 2019

I cannot say enough great things about Shawna. She really listens to what I’m saying and provides valuable feedback and action to move forward. She has a very comforting yet direct approach, which I very much like. I would highly recommend Shawna, and already have to a number of people.

Reviewed August 2019

Shawna is an insightful and caring counsellor, an attentive listener with a focus on practical strategies and techniques. In just a few sessions I feel confident I have the toolkit to manage stress and the negative thoughts that took up so much of my day before. Wish I’d done this sooner!

Reviewed July 2019

Shawna makes the therapeutic experience personalized and customized for me. She listens attentively, understands my concerns, and tries her best to help me tackle my issues with a variety of simple tools. Shawna is very knowledgeable, open-minded, and supportive. I'm an introvert but I feel comfortable sharing personal experiences with her. Thank you so much, Shawna, for being on this transformational journey with me. I definitely recommend Shawna for counseling.

Reviewed May 2019

Shawna has helped me a lot. She mixes a great blend of getting those pent up emotions out and practical solutions to issues. She has opened my eyes to how bodies holds onto stress. I would recommend her. I am a much calmer person knowing I can talk to her when I have a problem because she is helping me so much.

Reviewed May 2019

I had issues at work that were impacting my mental health; Shawna has taught me skills to better manage my emotions. I wish I'd done this sooner.

Reviewed April 2019

I have been working with Shawna for several months and she has provided good insights. The recommendations that she has made work. I have tried counselling previously with little success. I appreciate Shawna's support and direction.

Reviewed March 2019

Shawn is amazing! One of the top counsellors I've had. She's supportive, knowledgeable , super open minded and has an amazing ability to guide you towards the right direction.

Reviewed March 2019

Shawna was fantastic - thank you!

Reviewed February 2019

Shawna has, in a very short time, helped me to see things more clearly. I feel more supported and are able to function with decreased pain.

Reviewed February 2019

Shawna has been a GodSend to me in a very critical/pivotal point in my life. I have reached the point where I no longer feel that I need weekly counseling sessions, but will always come back to her as I need her. My whole world had turned upside down and she has helped me through it.

Reviewed January 2019

Shawna has truly taken the time to help me re-build into the person I want to become. She's patient and tentative to your needs. I never felt as though she wasn't on board with my journey or process, and I think that's special.

Reviewed January 2019

Extremely open and easy to talk to. Very helpful!

Reviewed December 2018

Shawna is easy to communicate with, reassuring and timely in her responses. She provides resources to aid as well as personal projects to reinforce the techniques she proposes. Everything is given in a very practical and doable manner.

Reviewed November 2018

Shawna has helped me through a particularly difficult time in my life and helped keep me safe checking in everyday.

Reviewed November 2018

She's a counselor who understand my situation and always give me support. In those days when I was upset, I thought about her words also her worksheet sent me before. If I need help in future again, I'll find her as my counselor!!!

Reviewed November 2018

Shawna is an excellent counsellor - I really appreciate how she quickly picks up on what is making me anxious or stressed and is able to not only come up with a solution (or at least steps towards one), but is able to tailor her suggestions and explanations in ways that are relevant to my experience.

Reviewed November 2018

Shawna has been very understanding and has offered advice that has helped me feel more balanced and in control of my circumstances.

Reviewed September 2018

How was your experience with Shawna?

Frequently asked questions

Does Shawna Pankonin offer telehealth visits?

Yes. Shawna Pankonin works with clients by exchanging messages, chatting live, speaking over the phone, or video conferencing based on what works for the client at that particular time.

What language(s) does Shawna Pankonin speak?

Shawna Pankonin speaks English.

How many years of experience does Shawna Pankonin have?

Shawna Pankonin has 14 years of experience.

Where is Shawna Pankonin licensed to practice?

Shawna Pankonin is licensed to practice in Mississippi.

Does Shawna Pankonin accept clients outside of the United States?

Yes, Shawna Pankonin accepts clients outside of the United States.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Numerous studies support the effectiveness of online platforms in facilitating life changes. For instance, research published by JMIR Publications, conducted by teams from the University of Berkeley, UCSF, and SF General Hospital, found that "users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform."

What treatment approaches does Shawna Pankonin offer?

Shawna Pankonin offers clients Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.

How can I communicate with Shawna Pankonin?

Shawna Pankonin can be engaged in any one of four ways: (1) Exchanging messages, (2) chatting live, (3) speaking over the phone, or (4) video conferencing. You can use different ways at different times as you wish, based on your needs, availability, and convenience.

How do I get started with Shawna Pankonin?

Just tap the CHAT NOW button or tap here: A new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.

Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

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When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.