Mindful Connections, Shannon McInchak, LMSW

06/13/2025

Never forget there was a time that being LGBTQ+ was pathologized. This picture is from my visit to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum last year on a camping trip with my family. Up until the 1970s, homosexuality was a diagnosable mental health condition and the "treatment" for it was some form of conversion therapy. I'm so glad to be a therapist in the present where being LGBTQ+ is no longer considered disordered, but there is still a lot of harm being done to q***r people. There are still therapists out here practicing conversion therapy but calling it something else (“Sexual Attraction Fluidity Exploration in Therapy” (SAFE-T) or “Reintegrative Therapy.".).

In a recent report from the Trevor Project, the data shows that q***r people are still afraid to seek help. Only 50% of LGBTQ+ people are receiving the care they deserve. They're still afraid that they'll be outed, pressured to be straight, or just misunderstood by their therapist. This is not ok.

So I decided to write this post in an effort to show q***r people that I support them. I want to do better in my practice to show that I'm a safe person for LGBTQ+ people. I know that as a cisgender, straight, heteronormative woman that I have a lot to learn and I am committed to doing that work.

Happy Pride

01/03/2025

First day at the new office in Trenton. I wish I could take credit for creating such a cozy space but that was all my office mate. Love this new space!

11/15/2024

Just acknowledging that life is hard right now and I am with you. Yes I am a therapist and have an ethical responsibility to help people regardless of whether we have the same political beliefs. I'm also a human being who cares deeply about people and can't help but see the harmful effects of a patriarchal, authoritarian, non empathetic, capitalistic culture. I know we can do better than this. While I'm going through my own grief, I'm also feeling incredibly motivated to help others right now. This is what makes being a therapist a privilege.

10/17/2024

After taking a short pause, I’m happy to announce that I’m ready for some new clients. I offer both virtual and in person sessions in Taylor at 20300 Superior Rd. I provide trauma informed therapy for:

-Anxiety
-Relationship problems
-Life transitions
-Low self esteem

I work with:

-Adults
-Teens (14+)
-Individuals

I provide free consultations and you can book on my website at staymindfulmi.com. Also feel free to email me at shannon@staymindfulmi.com.

Send a message to learn more

06/25/2024

Hi there. Just wanted to share a little about me.

I've been a therapist since 2016.

My first professional job was in a domestic violence shelter and crisis hotline.

I originally wanted to be a marriage counselor.

I have been in therapy for the last 3 years.

My biggest accomplishment as a therapist is connecting with people easily.

I use a trauma informed and relational approach.

For fun I like to spend time in nature biking, walking and camping. I also play video games, board games, read, paint minis and sew occasionally.

I want to expand my practice to couple's work.

My go to self care involves tuning into my body and practicing yoga.

What do you think about therapists using self disclosure? Does it enhance or take away from the therapy? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

05/01/2024

We all struggle with feelings of worth from time to time but when it's chronic, it can start to effect relationships. Worthlessness makes it harder to set boundaries and when you don't set boundaries, you feel more worthless. It becomes a vicious cycle that's difficult to break.

We are conditioned to think that saying no and disappointing others is selfish. This is part of our childhood conditioning, to try to build empathy and learn responsibility but when we become adults, how does selfishness apply? I define it as intentionally causing harm to others for your own personal gain.

It is difficult to say no, to disappoint people, and to sit with feelings of guilt. But it will eventually pass.

03/22/2024

Perfectionism is striving to be the version of ourselves that is most pleasing to others. It's characterized by high expectations that are often unattainable and feelings of shame when they aren't met. Perfectionistic tendencies are often related to low self esteem and rejection. Sometimes they are part of a traumatic past where you had to be perfect in order to have needs met or avoid violence.

03/08/2024

Anxiety effects relationships and self esteem. We get messages from our culture to suppress, distract, and ignore when unpleasant emotions arise (anger, fear, sadness). This shapes our reaction to a feeling that is often not in our control. Instead of getting curious about our responses and caring for ourselves, we jump right to criticism, judgment and frustration. Over time, this damages how we feel about ourselves and can lead to isolation and avoiding situations that make us uncomfortable. This in turn creates more anxiety in day to day living.

02/27/2024

Experiencing any traumatic event puts your mental health at risk. You can be traumatized without having PTSD and it can still have a big impact. Many people who have anxiety, social anxiety, and relationship problems have trauma histories. Working with a trauma informed therapist can help you understand your anxiety from a new perspective.

02/05/2024

I don't mean to brag but once in awhile I say something in a therapy session that is worth spreading around 💅

Goals are things that we want for ourselves. They provide a pathway to a more fulfilling life. It's great to have goals and motivation is an important piece of sustaining your mental health. Expectations are a little different. They're more rigid, rule based ways of thinking. They have more to do with how you think you should perform and create shame when they aren't met. "I should.." vs "I'd like to..."

If you struggle with anxiety or perfectionism, examine your self talk. See if you can shift from a "I should" to an "I'd like to" way of thinking. Just that simple shift can make you feel less anxious and more hopeful.

01/24/2024

This time of year can really bring up a lot of body image issues for women. We get so much pressure in so many areas to look a certain way and changing your body is not as easy as you think. Defining your standards of beauty outside of body size can be really empowering, plus you don't have to wait to do this. I like to wear jewelry because it makes me feel beautiful and I get to express myself. What about you?

01/04/2024

PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) occurs when something interferes with the natural recovery process. Most people will have these symptoms in the first month or so after a traumatic event. PTSD is when these symptoms don't go away on their own. Some common examples of things that interfere with natural recovery are:

-Our brain pairing cues in the environment with elements from the trauma and activating the fight, flight or freeze response involuntarily.
-Avoiding people, places or things in an effort to cope with anxiety.
-Developing extreme beliefs about yourself, the world and others.
-Difficulty feeling emotions and expressing them.
-Having little to no social support.

Understanding the impact that trauma has on you is the first step to healing. There are so many paths to trauma recovery, but most involve increasing self awareness as the first step. Therapy can help you do this and over time, practice coping skills to redirect thoughts and cope with the emotions instead of avoiding.

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