About Shay

Shay Bankston is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) with 20 years of clinical experience in Ohio. She focuses on helping people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life changes. She creates an affirming space for people from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ individuals and first responders.

Shay pays close attention to concerns like panic attacks, social anxiety, isolation, and post-traumatic stress. ADHD is also listed among her focus areas and is part of the concerns she addresses.

Background and approach

Her style is collaborative and person-centered. Sessions focus on practical coping tools, clear goals, and steady skill building. Shay works with clients to reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning through step-by-step planning and practice.

She also helps with relationship stress, grief, intimacy issues, and parenting challenges. Additional areas she addresses include addiction, hoarding, control issues, and compassion fatigue. Career concerns and coaching are part of her work as well.

Shay draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques and a trauma-informed lens. She aims to help people reconnect with their strengths and build routines that support recovery and growth. Her approach centers on listening, clear guidance, and realistic planning.

Evidence-based approaches and online care

Shay uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques in her work, including trauma-informed interventions that focus on stabilizing symptoms, teaching grounding strategies, and pacing exposure to difficult memories. These methods help people manage symptoms of post-traumatic stress, panic, and intense anxiety.

She also emphasizes CBT-style skill building that breaks problems into manageable parts, teaches concrete coping strategies, and helps people test new ways of responding. This approach is useful for anxiety, depression, and everyday life challenges such as time management and focus concerns commonly seen with ADHD.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shay will talk with each person about goals, needs, and preferences, and then tailor techniques to fit. The plan can change over time as progress is made and new priorities emerge.

Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules and those who prefer remote sessions. Video calls allow face-to-face work when visual connection matters. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, between-session coaching, and ongoing problem solving that fit into busy days.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Shay commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, and life changes. Additional focus areas include ADHD, panic attacks, isolation, and relationship or intimacy issues.
What is the therapeutic style like?
Her style is collaborative and person-centered, focusing on practical coping tools and steady skill building. Sessions aim to set clear goals and create doable steps toward improvement.
What experience does she bring to therapy?
Shay has 20 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of concerns, including trauma, anxiety, and first responder issues.
Where is Shay licensed and practicing?
She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) in Ohio and practices with that credential in mind.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts clients from outside the United States.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does cost and billing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Shay?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule based on the therapist's availability.

What this therapist works with

Experience
20 years
Licensed
Ohio
Languages
English

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