Shannon Wallon,
MS, LPC, NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor
Roswell Location
WHO I WORK WITH:
AGES 5-25
AREAS OF SPECIALITY:
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- Depression
- ADHD
- High-Functioning Autism
Hi, I'm Shannon Wallon.
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor here at Early Connections and mother to four grown children who have each gone on to become mothers and fathers themselves, as well as successful professionals. As a former teacher, parent and now counselor, I have worked with parents, children, teens and young adults for over 25 years, providing me with a rich, varied background in dealing with these populations. In both private and public-schools, I worked as a vocal coach in a high school for performing arts in Boston, as well as the historic Perkins School for the Blind where Helen Keller’s teacher learned to work with blind students. Prior to counseling children, I counseled young adults at several local colleges and universities. Being around children and teens for most of my adult life has given me the unique opportunity to work in various ways with different children and teens from different walks of life, in many different ways. These experiences have brought with them a unique perspective in understanding of the issues that impact kids today.
As you well know, in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing society of evolving norms and social mores, parents are competing with influences derived from media platforms such as YouTube and Tik Tok, influencers, the internet and now, artificial intelligence, leaving kids and parents feeling vulnerable and ill-equipped to deal with the new and at times confusing issues of the day. All of these things can lead to high levels of emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide and extreme bullying, to name a few.
From a collaborative standpoint, I would be honored to work with you and your child or teen deal with past trauma, manage anxiety, depression, and extreme emotions that can spill over into all areas of their lives.
Education & Trainings
- Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2018)
- Intensively Trained DBT Therapist
- Registered Play Therapy Certification (In-Progress)
Modalities & Interventions Used
- Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Person-Centered Therapy (PCT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Narrative Exposure Therapy for Trauma
What Does a Session Look Like With Me?
My office and sessions look fun! I try to create an atmosphere of safety and interest for the child to reduce any apprehension they may have upon first coming to a session with me. I have games of interest to wide variety of ages and interests, books that may resonate with some of the issues with which the child may be dealing, we may read relevant material that aligns with the client’s story, the client may build sand trays that exemplify the client’s world and ultimately tell their story.
I invite creative interests of the client to be used such as dance, art, music, and fantasy to explore a range of emotions. All of these activities allow the client to process whatever they need to in a manner that seems most appropriate and applicable for them.
Favorite Modalities & Therapeutic Interventions
While I draw from a range of counseling theories and practices, I am most heavily influenced by Person/Child-Centered Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy for Trauma, and Play Therapy practices. The central idea of Person-Centered Therapy is that rather than viewing people as inherently flawed, Person-Centered Therapy acknowledges that each person has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change. Also, the central tenet of Dialectical Behavior Therapy provides clients with skills to manage painful emotions and decrease conflict in relationships to “create a life worth living.” Along the way however, we may develop patterns of thought and behavior that get in the way of achieving these goals. This can occur for a variety of reasons. Counseling is a process which helps the client gain insight on which patterns of thought and behavior are unhelpful. We then work to uncover strengths and discover new strategies to reach our goals.
Sometimes it can be difficult to verbalize feelings and thoughts, especially for children. Play therapy allows for thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to be expressed using various methods such as art, sand play, games, and more. During a session, the process of play can allow for healthy emotional expression and release, a deeper understanding of self, and discovery of how to change unhealthy patterns in order to live a more fulfilling life.
