Shavonne James, LCSW

Founder & Director of Paper Cranes Counseling

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW84184)

I Help:

Over-functioning teens and young adults struggling to feel more secure in themselves and in their relationships

My Clients Often Struggle With:

  • Identity conflicts

  • Poor boundaries

  • Feelings of not belonging anywhere

  • Expressing themselves inauthentically

  • Excessive feelings of guilt and shame

  • Feeling unseen and unheard in relationships

  • Approval-seeking + people-pleasing tendencies

 

“I feel honored that people allow me to get to know them in such a vulnerable way and trust me with their growth process. While we often wear a facade of perfection, and filter out our perceived flaws, therapy encourages us to unmask and welcome the whole self. I love that part.”

- S

Who Am I?

Hello, my name is Shavonne. I am a Licensed Clinical Therapist and I’m passionate about helping teens and young adults feel more secure in themselves and in their relationships. Many of my clients are over-functioning in their lives and have the underlying belief that their worth is tied to their usefulness and achievement. They struggle with feelings of extreme guilt and shame, approval-seeking tendencies, and suppressing their own needs so I focus on nurturing who they are as a person outside of the roles they perform in the lives of others. I work from a humanistic perspective and I help my clients to acknowledge and feel confident in their desires and boundaries to gain a secure sense of self and build more mutually balanced, fulfilling relationships.

How I Can Help You

Over-functioning is a common response among individuals who were often only valued for their accomplishments and self-sufficiency, without being seen as a whole, complex person. Unfortunately, many of these people give up on their authenticity and feel trapped in an unfulfilling life, catering to the expectations of others. This can lead to resentment and abandonment of self. As a licensed therapist, I have helped many unsatisfied people pursue a more fulfilling life.

I provide individualized therapy that focuses on helping you discover more about the unconscious beliefs that influence your sense of self and belonging, as well as your internal experiences - your stories, narratives, motivations, strengths, and desires. Together, we will work to find your intuitive voice, build your internal sense of self-worth, push through the discomfort and resistance of change, and develop practices that alter the dynamics of your relationships, including the one you have with yourself. I'm a firm believer in not shaming thoughts and feelings but rather acknowledging them without assigning judgment.

What’s a Session with me Like?

Therapy with me is designed to dig deeper into your human experience. I like to focus on connection and curiosity because I want to know and understand as much of your story as I can so that I can better see the way that you see yourself and the world around you. My role is to create a safe space for you to uncover your true desires in life and build the skills you need to work towards them.

Therapy is an opportunity for us to create, discover, explore, and practice. I believe that you are the expert of your life and I’m here to provide the clinical aspect that assists in pulling from the great uniqueness that is you. I will hold space for the full range of thoughts, feelings, and emotions that encompass your humanness, and I ask that you show up as an active collaborator and participant in the change you want to see. I want my clients to leave therapy feeling more secure in who they are as a person, and experiencing more authenticity than obligation.

 

BIO

Shavonne James, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist, as well as the Founder and Director of Paper Cranes Counseling. As a psychotherapist, her passion is working with individuals experiencing difficult interpersonal relationships and identity conflicts.

She has worked with individuals experiencing symptoms of anxiety (i.e. racing thoughts, hypervigilance, restlessness, excessive fear/worry, insomnia, etc.), depression (i.e hopelessness, suicidal ideations, worthlessness, feelings of guilt/shame, etc.), trauma (i.e from adverse childhood experiences, intimate partner violence, grief/loss, generational trauma, etc.), mood disorders (i.e. mania, irritability, etc.), and psychosis (i.e. auditory/visual hallucinations, paranoia, delusional thoughts, etc.).

She has developed her clinical skills through her work in community mental health (in the Greater Los Angeles area), schools (middle school and high school), and at a children’s advocacy center (near Fort Stewart military base). Shavonne received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology (with a double minor in Philosophy and Creative Writing) from the University of California in Merced and a Master of Social Work degree from Savannah State University.

Shavonne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of California (LCSW84184), a Brainspotting Practitioner, and a certified clinician in Interpersonal Psychotherapy through the Interpersonal Psychotherapy Institute (IPT Institute). She also has advanced training in other Evidenced-Based Practices such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Crisis Oriented Recovery Services (CORS) and Seeking Safety (focusing on treating trauma and substance use).

 
 

Starting Rate: $175/session

(See Pricing + Packages for more information)