Shannon Wilson, LMHC, PMH-C

01/15/2024

Hello! I am adding a few additional slots to my work week, which means I am currently welcoming new clients! 😍 I see adults for any presenting concern, but I have expertise in working with women in the reproductive era as well as any adult who is living with an anxiety disorder or OCD. I am trained in CBT, ERP, I-CBT and most recently, EMDR. If you are looking for a therapist who is engaged and fairly directive, I may be a good fit! I may not be the best fit for you if you require late afternoon or evening hours, as I schedule clients during school-time hours. For more information or to get scheduled, reach out to Hannah at 319.250.1267 (MWR Counseling)!

07/01/2022

I’m so excited to get to write the first blog in our series on connection. Please check back to Cedar Rapids Moms to read more about connection with your toddler, adolescent, partner, and yourself!

The importance of connection in our lives is often underrated. As humans, being connected to others helps us feel safer.

04/08/2022

Locals! Please spread the word about this new group Emilie Sommers will be offering. See for additional details!

04/05/2022

So excited about Bloom this year!!! Come see us there!

Join us for our 6th Annual Bloom Moms Night Out event!

03/29/2022

If you’re a mom, this event is for you! And you can enter to win free tickets! Hope to see you there!

Join us for our 6th Annual Bloom Moms Night Out event!

12/29/2021

So exciting! We are adding TWO phenomenal clinicians to our team in January!!

We are thrilled to be bringing Laren Garret, tLMHC, in to our MWR family in January!! 🤩 Laren is such an asset to our team and to the community. 🔆 She is a recent graduate of Walden University with a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. 🔆 Laren has had the privilege of working with individuals living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, trauma, and the effects of substance abuse 🔆 She is currently accepting new clients and has daytime and evening availability 🔆 Visit mwrcounseling.com or call our Clincal Care Coordinator, Hannah, to get scheduled with Laren or any of our incredible clinicians

12/29/2021

So exciting! We’re adding TWO phenomenal clinicians to our team in January!

We are also adding Laura Crow, LMSW, to our team in January!! We couldn’t be happier about having her. 🔆 Laura graduated in 2021 from University of Northern Iowa with a Masters in Social Work 🔆 She works primarily with adults and adolescents who are experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma 🔆 Laura has training in Trauma Responsive Yoga and focuses on utilizing the mind/body connection for healing 🔆 She has immediate availability, including afternoons and evening hours 🔆 Please visit mwrcounseling.com or reach out to Hannah, our Clinical Care Coordinator, at 319.250.1267 to learn about scheduling with Laura or any of our clinicians!

12/01/2021

So proud of you, Megan!!!! ❤️❤️

We are SO PROUD of our very own Megan Rose, who recently completed rigorous training and clinical supervision in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to become the only clinician in the state of Iowa who is a Beck Institute CBT Certified Clinician. Her knowledge has been and will continue to be such an asset to our clients and to our amazing team at MWR! Congratulations, Megan!

12/01/2021

This episode of with is AMAZING and worth listening to every second. Highly recommend to all moms - those with fresh babies AND those with older babies/toddlers/preschoolers. It is so validating to listen to Dr. Cotler speak. ❤️

10/10/2021

One of my favs was referenced while attending virtual conference!

09/22/2021

I loved getting to have a conversation with about mental and emotional wellness in the postpartum time. We talk mood and anxiety disorders, partnering, and what self-care is (and isn’t!). Give it a listen and share if you find it helpful! 🤍 Huge thanks to Dr. Gray for inviting me to be a guest! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-longevity-blueprint/id1516640396?i=1000536249159

09/16/2021

Ahhhhhh so excited to dig into this little gem that arrived on my doorstep today!!! Have you seen it yet? Karen Kleiman, maternal mental health expert from wrote this guide for new parents. I suspect this will be another book on frequent loan to the new (and not so new!) parents that I work with. Stay tuned for commentary on some of my favorite parts!

05/05/2021

Ahhhh 😍😍😍. I received my copy of Dr. Kat’s new book, “The Calm Pregnancy Workbook” today!! It’s full of information, exercises, and strategies to help you manage anxiety and worry during pregnancy. I love, love, love the CBT focus! This is going to be so helpful for so many.

02/26/2021

I received some fun mail today!!! As a perinatal mental health specialist, I often recommend and refer to doulas. The benefits are endless, but some of my favorites include increasing birth support for a subsequent birth after a traumatic birth, and providing hands-on physical support during postpartum. This can look like a caring and empathic professional to be with baby so you can rest, or to help with odds and ends so you can be with baby! They work with you to meet your needs. Two of my favorite local supports for perinatal women are Grace and Johanna .mama . Go check them out!

02/18/2021

Spot on! Posted • .you You feeling it, Mama? 😧
The brain fog. The low grade sadness. The fatigue.
Maybe it's not you. Maybe it's burnout.
Burnout has been the topic of discussion for a lot of the moms I'm talking to these days.
Burnout happens when there is no true relief from prolonged stress.
Your body and mind run out of gas and one step feels like the weight of a thousand.
It's hard to focus during burnout.
It's hard to get things done during burnout.
It's hard to show compassion during burnout.
Everything just seems...so...hard.
If you're feeling burnt out right now, you have a whole host of reasons to be.
This hasn't been an easy trip around the sun.
We'll get to some tips later this week, but for now, I want you to know that it's not just you overthinking or being too sensitive. It's been hard.

02/14/2021

Happy Valentine’s Day!! 😍 Virtual training today that I am SO excited about!

02/08/2021

💜💜💜💜

Be compassionate with yourselves, mamas.

02/06/2021

Great read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/parenting/working-mom-burnout-coronavirus.html?referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwAR38joRYf1d2eJMIOEVVeCZ2wUb_xFaZkLb1OFvcvEc9kexF38kkbU2PQCw

This isn’t just about burnout, it’s about betrayal.

01/23/2021

I can’t stop chuckling about this!

01/16/2021

Virtual training today!

01/12/2021

Yesssss. Learning to accept and allow emotions is so important. Most of us didn’t learn this as children and it can lead us to avoid it in any way possible as adults.

What would it be like to allow yourself to feel the difficult feelings without trying to make it go away?

“Sometimes against my will, squirming, hoping they will go away, but nonetheless allowing myself to be there and be present and to just let them settle over me. After a little time I am able to come to terms, to accept the discomfort. Then a realization washes over me and I can begin to process. Is this feeling nervousness? Anxiety? Unease? Boredom? Do I need something? Once these thoughts are allowed in, rather than being smothered, a light bulb will flash on and possible solutions I have devised for making myself feel better (my “emergency action plan”) in a more positive way may surface.”

The most important skill I have learned on this journey is to just sit with my emotions. Instead of drowning, dulling or feeding them, I experience them.

01/11/2021

Dr. Hannah Anderson is a phenomenal resource in our community for postpartum mamas!

Tending to your physical health and rehabilitation after birth can make such a significant difference in mental health and well-being postpartum.

Go check out Birthfit Cedar Rapids, Iowa and see what Dr. Anderson has to offer!

Dr. Hannah Anderson knows from personal experience that new moms have distinct needs.

01/09/2021

So much truth here. Mothering gives us an incredible opportunity for healing and breaking the cycle.

12/21/2020

Reposting for those who haven’t seen this. Gift wrapping and traveling are great opportunities to learn about perinatal mental health 😘.

“We launched episode #42 today In this episode we interview Shannon Wilson, LMHC, PMH-C about all things perinatal mental health including normalizing without dismissing, normal vs common, supportive language, and mental health during a pandemic. It is a great listen for all people, not just those who are pregnant or recently pregnant. Listen wherever you listen to podcasts or here http://womancenteredhealth.com/perinatal-mental-health/.

In this episode we interview Shannon Wilson about all things perinatal mental health including normalizing without dismissing, normal vs common, supportive language, and mental health during a pandemic.

12/17/2020

Thanks, for having me on to discuss perinatal mental health! Are you a provider? This is geared toward you! *link in comments*

12/17/2020

So excited to have an opportunity to talk with Nicole and Stephanie about perinatal mental health!!

We launched episode #42 today In this episode we interview Shannon Wilson, LMHC, PMH-C about all things perinatal mental health including normalizing without dismissing, normal vs common, supportive language, and mental health during a pandemic. It is a great listen for all people, not just those who are pregnant or recently pregnant. Listen wherever you listen to podcasts or here http://womancenteredhealth.com/perinatal-mental-health/.

12/16/2020

Love this. Mamas are so good at hiding what is really going on. Are you a provider? Dig deeper. Ask her, “are you worried about the way you feel?” Are you a friend to a new mom? Share your real experience with her, maybe she can relate.

12/16/2020

I’m certain that someone needs to see this.

12/14/2020

A client asked me today if I’ve heard of because I would love it. She was right! I do! If you have a child age 1-5, go follow them...now! 😍 Posted • No one likes to see their kid cry. And, sometimes we don’t think they SHOULD be crying in this situation (Seriously? You’re THAT sad about your purple crayon being too "purpley?!?!?") So we try our best by saying “You’re okay!” in an upbeat way, hoping to convince them they are.

But... imagine you were super upset about something, had just a horrible day, and you come home to your partner and he/she says “It’s not that big of a deal. You’re totally overreacting.“😡😨🤯🤬Yup. THAT.

How much better would it be your partner simply said, “Hey, that was really upsetting. Sorry that happened. I get it.” Well, THAT, but for our kids!⁠🌈

The message we accidentally send to our kids when we say “Hey, you’re okay, don’t cry” is “Hey, your feelings don’t matter.” Plus, by brushing off their feelings, or telling them to "calm down" or "stop crying" you can pretty much expect MORE crying, a BIGGER reaction. It's just human nature.🤯

✨So, next time your kid is having an epic meltdown, try this: “I hear that you’re sad. It’s okay to feel sad.”✨

✨Or even, "I hear that you're mad. It's okay to feel mad."⁠✨

Let them feel those ALL those feelings! Show them they can be honest with you! It will help them recover more quickly, aka shorten the tantrum (short-term goal), and build some LIFELONG emotional skills and self-worth (long-term goal!).

You’ve got this 👊🏾👊🏻👊🏽👊🏼👊🏿

PS this tip? It works for adults too. Even if you may not completely understand the reasons, even if you think they are "overreacting" or showing their outrage, their sadness in the "wrong way." SAY THIS: "I can see you're feeling sad. It's okay to feel sad. I'm here for you." Be empathic, be there for them, without inserting your judgements or opinions. I see you. I hear you, and it's okay to feel how you feel.

✨And? While all feelings are okay, all behaviors are NOT. We can accept all feelings while still disciplining in a way that WORKS and protects our child’s self esteem.

12/11/2020

Posted • .overbaugh I can't tell you how many times I've disappointed my clients with this. ⁠
⁠
When a person comes to me and says that a goal for treatment is to no longer have intrusive thoughts, I disappoint them when I tell them that's not going to happen. ⁠
⁠
The goal of treatment can't be to get rid of the intrusive thoughts - because we all have intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are normal. They are part of the human experience. We have so many thoughts on a minute by minute basis - we can't possibly expect for them to all make sense, be pleasant, and coincide with our values. ⁠
⁠
Instead, the goal of OCD treatment is to establish a new relationship with your thoughts. To no longer let the anxiety provoking thoughts rule your life. To no longer have your life be dictated by the OCD rules and regulations. ⁠
⁠
You may conclude therapy still having the same amount of intrusive thoughts as you did when you first entered therapy. Of course, that would be nice if they're experienced as less severe, less frequent, less vivid, etc. But that's not necessary in order to deem therapy "successful".⁠
⁠
What makes therapy successful is whether you can still experience those thoughts and simply have a different response to them than you did before. ⁠
⁠
It is possible! And the transformation is truly wonderful to watch. Xo.⁠
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