Shannon Julianne Toy , MD, LCSW-C, LCSW

Shannon Julianne Toy prefers to go by her middle name, Julianne, and brings a multidisciplinary background to her therapeutic work. Holding credentials as an MD, an LCSW-C, and an LCSW, she combines medical training with clinical social work to support people across a range of life stages and concerns. Julianne has seven years of experience and has worked in diverse roles prior to and alongside her clinical practice, including case management, crisis intervention, and both individual and group counseling.

She has provided services in many settings - homes, community programs, courts, jails, hospitals, schools, and offices - and has experience delivering teletherapy in multiple formats. Her approach emphasizes practical, solution-focused strategies and a strengths-based orientation rather than a deficit model. Julianne centers client preferences in every step of care, advocating and collaborating with clients to build the skills, insights, and supports needed to pursue a happier, healthier life.

Julianne works with a wide array of concerns including stress and anxiety, mood conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder, trauma and grief, relationship and family issues, eating and body image concerns, intimacy-related matters, parenting challenges, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. She draws on acceptance and commitment therapy, client-centered techniques, cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness, and narrative approaches to tailor treatment to each person’s goals.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take committed action toward a more meaningful life while learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings. It is often helpful for anxiety, stress, and navigating life changes. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on building a trusting, nonjudgmental relationship in which the therapist supports the client’s own insights and choices - a helpful approach for relationship concerns, self-esteem issues, and grief. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical strategies to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, which can ease symptoms of depression, anxiety, and many everyday challenges.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist works collaboratively with each person to determine what fits best based on needs, goals, and preferences. This collaborative process may combine elements from multiple approaches to create a personalized plan.

Online therapy provides flexibility and easier access to care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options allow people to connect from home or work, adapt scheduling to busy lives, and continue consistent care when in-person sessions are difficult, all while working with licensed professionals who tailor treatment to individual goals.