IFSTherapists

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LPC

Shakina Small, LPC

  • Experience26 years
  • LocationPennsylvania
  • Focus areasRelationship, Family, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Shakina

Shakina Small is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania who blends relational, trauma-informed, and skills-based approaches to help people navigate complex life challenges.

Background and approach

With 26 years of clinical experience, she draws on Internal Family Systems alongside client-centered and cognitive-behavioral techniques to address relationship strain, family dynamics, trauma and abuse, addictions, and intimacy-related concerns. Her work frequently includes issues such as parenting struggles, communication and attachment problems, blended family transitions, and coping with major life changes.

She has supported clients working through bipolar disorder, ADHD, anger, career transitions, and substance use concerns, while also focusing on themes like abandonment, body image, codependency, and fatherhood issues. Her approach is warm and direct when needed, combining empathy with practical interventions to promote insight and behavioral change.

Shakina emphasizes respect and sensitivity in therapy and uses a range of methods tailored to each person’s needs. Sessions may incorporate emotional processing, skills training, and explorations of underlying patterns so clients can move beyond past hurts and build healthier relationships and coping strategies.

Integrating therapeutic approaches through online care



Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a way to explore internal parts and their roles, helping clients understand conflicting feelings and heal from trauma by fostering a compassionate internal leadership. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental stance that prioritizes the client’s experience and supports personal growth through empathy and acceptance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and developing practical skills to change behaviors and improve mood, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process; the therapist will work with the client to determine which combination of IFS, client-centered work, CBT, or other techniques best fits the client’s goals, values, and preferences. This process may shift over time as needs evolve and new priorities emerge.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, allowing therapy to fit into varied schedules and life demands. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care and access support from a licensed professional without geographic constraints, while still focusing on meaningful therapeutic work and skill-building.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly address?
She works with relationship and family problems, trauma and abuse, addictions, intimacy issues, parenting challenges, anger, career difficulties, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style and approach?
Her style is empathetic and engaging while also direct when appropriate, blending Internal Family Systems with client-centered, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavior, and emotionally-focused techniques to match client needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 26 years of experience as a psychotherapist and behavioral consultant across a variety of clinical and community settings.
What credentials and state licensure does she hold?
She is a licensed professional counselor with the credential PA LPC PC016304 practicing in Pennsylvania.
Which languages are available for sessions and can she work with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered for online work?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies depending on location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin therapy with her?
To start, choose the Start Therapy button, complete a brief matching questionnaire, and then schedule appointments according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseSelf esteem

Also works with

AddictionsIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMoney and financial issuesMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressSelf-loveSex addictionSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

26+ years

Licensed

Pennsylvania

Languages

English