"TO PLANT A GARDEN IS TO BELIEVE IN TOMORROW."
SERVICES
If you feel stuck and like you can't find the path forward, know that you don't have to take the next steps alone. It can be overwhelming to find yourself or your child caught in a pattern of intense emotions that makes navigating the stress of each day feel like too much to handle. It may feel like the cycle of anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion will never end. You may feel unsure how to wake up each morning and take steps towards growing your relationships and achieving your goals.
Therapy can provide a safe space to process these common feelings of uncertainty and develop a path towards peace and balance. I use an integrative approach that will guide you towards feeling a sense of control over your life by managing emotions, understanding yourself better, and building resiliency to thrive. If nothing else, therapy is an opportunity to tell your story and let someone else hold parts of it while they walk alongside you.
Therapy with Adults
I offer telehealth sessions for adult clients in North Carolina. These sessions provide a convenient and secure way to access therapy on your time. I specialize in helping adults dealing with negative thoughts that contribute to low self-esteem, anxiety, trouble setting boundaries, and difficulty with decision-making. If you are feeling stuck, I can help you improve your overall well-being and take action towards the things you value in life.
Therapy with Children and Adolescents
I offer in-person and telehealth sessions for adolescent and child clients. I specialize in working with children who struggle to regulate their emotions which may contribute to meltdowns or cyclical thinking. If you struggle to understand how to help your child when they experience big emotions, I will work with both you and your child to develop lifelong regulation skills through healthy connection.
Garden Therapy
I offer a limited number of garden therapy sessions at a local non-profit in downtown Durham. Gardening utilizes the natural healing properties of the outdoors to help reduce stress, improve your mood, and find inner peace. It can help adults and children face the typical stresses of modern urban life using mindfulness practices and increased awareness of ourselves and others.
ABOUT ME
ABOUT ME
I'm Shannon Mulloy (she/her). I'm a mental health counselor who has been working in the field for almost a decade helping individuals navigate the complexities of anxiety, depression, relationships, and family dynamics. My worldview and approach to therapy has been largely shaped by my experiences working and living in various settings across the country. Some notable adventures include providing wilderness therapy to teens in Hawaii, managing student life at a boarding school in Asheville, assisting with film productions in Hollywood, and working at a tech startup in San Francisco. These experiences allow me to connect with a wide range of clients, providing unique perspectives on their concerns. I enjoy working with clients from diverse backgrounds and approach my clients from culturally responsive and LGBTQ+ affirming lenses that see each individual as worthy of respect without judgment.
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
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Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Rehabilitation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Masters in Sociology, Stanford University
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Bachelors in Communication, Stanford University
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Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
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Certified Rehabilitation Counselor
PERSONAL INTERESTS
I’m an animal lover, sports fanatic, and game enthusiast. I like to have a podcast or television show playing at all times, especially when doing puzzles or walking my dogs. During the Spring, I spend my afternoons coaching the DSA Varsity Softball team.
My love of all things "nerdy" and nature in part inspired the name of Sage Path Counseling. The sage plant is typically associate with wisdom and cleansing of negative energy, perhaps due to its name, which is derived from the Latin word "salvare," meaning "to save" or "to heal". In Naruto, "Sage Mode" is an empowered mental state that can be tapped into by using the power of nature to access one's existing strength. My goal in counseling is to help individuals tap into and grow their existing power in order to heal.
APPROACH TO THERAPY
I believe all humans will experience stress, suffering, and uncertainty. I also believe many of our issues come from how we face these inevitable aspects of being human. As early as childhood we begin learning how to survive in this world. We learn patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are meant to protect us, and perhaps do so for a period of time, but at some point become ineffective or even destructive. These patterns inhibit our ability to experience a life of meaning, connection, growth, and peace.
In therapy you will be invited to courageously bring awareness to your patterns by gently revisiting their origins. We will slowly and carefully deconstruct them and I will guide you in intentionally reconstructing new patterns based on your beliefs and values. We will teach your mind and body to move from “survival mode” to actually living by learning to face all aspects of being human head on, especially those that currently feel terrifying or uncomfortable.
When done well, I believe therapy is hard. It can be messy, uncomfortable, even painful at times. Our sessions will also be filled with laughter, occasional movie references, and authenticity. Ultimately, therapy will become a space for you to discover what it feels like to be safe and to be fully yourself.
THERAPY WITH KIDS
Many of the approaches outlined above translate to work with children well. Play provides a useful tool to observe and understand the patterns your child uses to protect themself, whether that be from confusion, shame, disappointment, embarrassment, or anxiety. Your child and I will use play to create a safe environment to better understand themselves, their emotions, and their needs. I will work with your whole family to see and solve challenges through curiosity and compassion. Above all, I think it is important for children to learn how to develop tools to express themselves in healthy, emotionally regulated ways so that they can feel heard and connected.
CONTACT ME
If you think we might be a good fit or are interested in learning more about my counseling services, please reach out to take the first steps onto your new path!
PHONE
(919)234-5663
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please go to the nearest emergency room or call 911!