Michael Shaughnessy , LMHC

Michael Shaughnessy brings nearly four decades of clinical experience to his work, blending professional training with an approachable, often humorous manner. He enjoys tennis, running, and college football, and places great value on his marriage and personal relationships, all of which inform his understanding of life balance and commitment.

As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor - LMHC - in Florida, Michael has worked across a range of settings, including inpatient treatment for substance use disorders, co-dependency, and eating disorders. He has maintained private practice for many years, both within group settings and as a solo practitioner, assisting people dealing with depression, anxiety, trauma from distressing life events, and the stuckness that sometimes appears in midlife or during transitions.

Michael describes his clinical stance as eclectic with a strong experiential bent, and he emphasizes acceptance of self and others as central to healing. He often draws on personal and professional stories to normalize struggles and to model resilience, and he is known for a tenacious spirit that underlies his commitment to not giving up on clients.

In session he works collaboratively to explore patterns that can create distress - including imbalances among internal parent, adult, and child parts of the personality - and he supports couples, families, and individuals through grief, relationship challenges, addictions, career shifts, parenting concerns, and questions of intimacy and identity.

How Michael's Therapeutic Approaches Translate to Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating a respectful, nonjudgmental environment where the client leads the pace of exploration and the therapist offers empathy and unconditional positive regard. This approach helps with issues like depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, and the sense of feeling lost by prioritizing the client's own goals and insights.

Existential Therapy invites discussion of life meaning, choice, responsibility, and personal values. It can be useful for coping with major life changes, grief, career questions, and the broader questions that arise after trauma or significant transitions by encouraging thoughtful reflection and intentional living.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Michael draws on these methods and adapts them to each person's needs, goals, and preferences, working together with clients to decide which strategies feel most helpful and when to shift focus.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit care into busy schedules and to connect from different locations. Licensed professionals can use these options to maintain continuity of care and to tailor the format to what best supports each client's work in therapy.