David Shields, LMHC
Understand Yourself. Live Differently
When Life Keeps Feeling Harder Than It Should
Maybe anxiety has taken over. Maybe relationships keep falling into the same painful patterns. Or maybe you've been carrying more than anyone realizes.
Therapy isn't about becoming someone else. It's about understanding yourself well enough to begin living differently.
In-person in Tampa and telehealth throughout Florida.
Understanding Why You Keep Getting Stuck
You may already know that something in your life isn't working. You may even know what you think you should be doing differently. And yet, you find yourself falling into the same patterns.
There is usually a reason for that.
The ways we respond to stress, relationships, conflict, disappointment, or uncertainty don't develop out of nowhere. They're shaped by what we've experienced in our lives and what we've learned—sometimes without realizing it—about how to protect ourselves, get our needs met, or avoid getting hurt.
Those patterns may have made sense at one time. The problem is that we can continue relying on them long after they've stopped working for us.
Therapy gives us a chance to understand why the pattern is there, what keeps it going, and what makes it so difficult to respond differently.
That understanding isn't the end of the work. It's what gives us somewhere to begin.
What Working Together Looks Like
Therapy with me is conversational, collaborative, and active. I'll listen carefully, but I won't just sit back and leave you wondering what I'm thinking. I'll ask questions, offer observations, and sometimes challenge you to look at something from a different angle.
We may spend time making sense of what's happening and where it comes from, but we'll also pay attention to what you can do differently outside the therapy room. The goal is not simply to understand yourself better, but to help that understanding make a difference in your everyday life.
Talk Honestly
There's room to talk about what's difficult, uncomfortable, confusing, or hard to admit.
Look More Closely
I'll ask questions and offer observations that may help you notice something you haven't on your own.
Put It Into Practice
We'll look for practical ways to use what you're learning in your relationships, decisions, and everyday life.
What Brings People to Therapy
People come to therapy for many different reasons. Sometimes there's a specific problem that has become difficult to manage. Other times, there's simply a sense that something isn't working—or that life could feel different than it does now.
Some of the concerns I frequently work with include:
Therapy Should Help You Understand Yourself —
Not Just Manage Symptoms
I’m David Shields, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. I work with adults and couples who want therapy to be more than simply talking about what happened during the week.
My approach is curious, collaborative, and practical. I’ll listen carefully, but I’ll also ask questions, notice patterns, and help you look more closely at what may be happening beneath the surface.
The goal isn’t for me to tell you how to live your life. It’s to help you understand yourself well enough to make choices that fit the life you want to live.
David Shields, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor • Florida: MH19485
M.S., Mental Health Counseling • Nova Southeastern University, 1999
Therapy That Fits Your Life
Therapy is available in person in Tampa or by telehealth throughout Florida, with options for both self-pay and insurance.
Meet in person at my Hyde Park office in Tampa or through secure telehealth from anywhere in Florida.
In-Person & Telehealth
Fees and Insurance
The fee for a standard therapy session is $175. I also accept a number of insurance plans for clients who prefer to use their benefits.
Getting Started
If you're ready to begin, you can schedule an appointment online. If you have questions before scheduling, you're welcome to get in touch.
You Don’t Have to Have Everything Figured Out Before You Begin
Sometimes the first step is simply having a place to start talking about what’s been difficult.
We can begin there.