Shana Sexton

Adults, Families, and Couples

My name is Shana Sexton and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I earned my Master of Social Work degree in 2003 and have been in private practice since 2017. My past experience includes work in child welfare, where I gained experience with complex families facing challenging issues like substance abuse and domestic violence and developed an understanding of trauma. Additionally, I worked for many years with children and adults with disabilities in residential, school, work and clinic settings. This provided me with an appreciation for the special challenges that come with parenting a child with special needs throughout life, which I bring to my work with clients who are in this circumstance. I am very familiar with Down Syndrome in particular, having previously worked at the Adult Down Syndrome Center at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital.

One of my primary interests is in working with couples to improve their communication, develop a deeper friendship and connection, rebuild trust and work through conflicts and infidelity. I have training in Gottman Method couples therapy, which is an evidence based approach to couples treatment. I am also married and a parent, so I have first hand experience with the challenges of nurturing a relationship while parenting.

I also enjoy individual therapy work with adults at all stages of life. I strongly believe that the relationship between therapist and client is what makes therapy successful. My main objective is to build a strong relationship with you so that we can work together on your goals and you can improve your life. I believe that therapy is a collaborative process in which you should be closely involved in setting goals and using therapy sessions in the way that will be the most beneficial for you. My approach to therapy includes looking at what has happened in your past to get you to where you are now as well as exploring how your current thought patterns might be keeping you stuck. I also offer sandtray, which uses symbols and metaphors to process feelings and events. This can be especially useful for people who have experienced trauma or are working through grief and loss.

In my spare time, I love to have adventures with my family and our dog, read as many books as I can and enjoy the outdoors. I look forward to meeting you and working alongside you to move in a new direction in your life and relationship.

Areas of Interest:

Anger Management, Attachment Issues, Caregiver Support, CBT, Children/Parenting, Codependency, Cross-Cultural Issues, Developmental Delays, Divorce, Elder Issues, Family of Origin, Grief and Loss, Pre/Post-Natal Issues, Premarital Issues, PTSD/Trauma, Singles’ Issues, Stress Management, Women’s Issues

Certifications/Specialty Training

Gottman Training Level 2