About Shakena
Dr. Shakena Mabry brings more than a decade of clinical practice to her work in Maryland. She is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - with 12 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles.
She writes plainly and listens closely to each person who comes to her for help. Her approach centers on practical steps and everyday skills. She draws on therapies that teach breathing, thinking, and behavior tools to handle strong feelings and painful memories.
Background and approach
She helps people spot unhelpful patterns and try small changes that build confidence over time. Mabry also supports those facing grief, parenting strain, addiction concerns, and career stress. She works with people questioning sexuality, dealing with trauma, or feeling isolated.
Her focus includes mood disorders, ADHD, and issues such as codependency and abandonment that make relationships hard. She uses a mix of methods that match a person’s needs. Sessions might include looking at thoughts and behaviors, learning acceptance strategies, or processing traumatic memories when needed.
The aim is steady progress through clear goals and practical exercises. People describe her style as direct but warm, and she treats each person as the expert on their life. To begin, a simple questionnaire and scheduling step helps match you and plan the first session.
Sessions are offered in English and take place online in a range of formats.
Approaches you can use online with a licensed therapist
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on values and small actions that move someone toward a meaningful life, which can help with anxiety, low mood, and life changes.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks down problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sessions often include simple exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and build new habits, useful for depression, anxiety, and stress management.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is used to process distressing memories. It can reduce the intensity of past events that still cause upset and support recovery after trauma.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and recommend methods that fit. That choice is collaborative and may change as progress is made.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls are close to an in-person session and work well for longer therapy. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for quick check-ins. Live chat and text messaging are useful for short updates, daily coping prompts, and staying connected between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
What is her professional background?
Where is she licensed and based?
Which languages are used for sessions?
What session formats are available?
How is cost handled for sessions?
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Grief
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 12 years
- Licensed
- Maryland, District of Columbia, New York, Pennsylvania
- Languages
- English