Shannon Hayter

Who I am as a Therapist

I care deeply about the ways we relate to one another—how we show up in our families, relationships, and communities, and what happens when those spaces don’t make room for our full selves. I work with individuals and families navigating conflict and hurt, parenting, identity-exploration, chosen family, addiction and recovery, and the lingering impact of trauma or disconnection. Therapy with me isn’t about fixing what’s broken—it’s about slowing down, getting honest, and finding ways to move forward that feel more like your own by embedding new discoveries and meaning.

I’m steady, direct, and present. I’ll listen closely, ask honest questions, and help you sort through what’s working, what’s hurting, and what feels possible. I believe growth often happens in the small, slow moments—when something clicks, when you feel a little less alone, when an unmet need is discovered and given voice, when you find words for something that didn’t have them before. Collective healing is my guiding principle. In my presence, I hope you find room to breathe deeply, feel wholly, and come into more awareness of what matters to you. While therapy can be hard, I also believe it can be joyful, creative, and full of unexpected openings. I welcome all the parts of your experience on this journey of becoming more of yourself, and living into the relationships you choose with greater heart and devotion.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent years building and growing into a non-traditional, intergenerational, multi-racial chosen family. I’m a queer, white, cis woman, and my own experiences with identity, family, and belonging shape how I sit with others. I approach therapy through a relational and social justice lens and honor the ways culture, systems, and privilege shape our lives. I especially welcome QTBIPOC clients and anyone who’s felt like an outsider in traditional spaces—you deserve care that sees you clearly and supports you fully. I bring in my experience as a special educator, finding ways to meet you creatively and on the fringe, even well outside of what is considered “normal.” You’ll see my histories of family anarchy, religious trauma, health recovery, addiction, and joyful reclamation of living into the fullness of life in therapy.

Specialty Areas

Therapeutic Approaches 

• Acceptance & Commitment (ACT)
• Attachment Based Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS)
• Compassionate Communication (NVC)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Feminist Therapy
• Intergenerational Family Therapy
• Mindfulness
• Narrative Therapy
• Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy
• Transgender Affirming Care

Training & Experience  

• Coursework in the following areas: queer/trans/non-binary identities and relationships, social-justice lens, couples, non-monogamy (ethical and non-ethical), Attachment
• Training in Collaborative Problem Solving