Cheerful Heart Mental Health Counseling PLLC (She/Her)
Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC-D, LPC, LPCC, NCC
In-Person in White Plains, NY 10603
Online in Multiple States
California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
Cheerful Heart was created to offer the kind of care many women need but struggle to find, care that takes women’s pain seriously, especially Black women’s pain. The practice was founded by Shakira K. O’Garro, LMHC-D, whose lived experience with severe stage IV endometriosis, adenomyosis, and medical trauma informs every layer of this work. Like many clients, she navigated years of dismissal within medical systems and discovered how deeply those experiences can impact mental health and faith.
Cheerful Heart exists so women no longer have to choose between clinical excellence and cultural or spiritual understanding. This is a space where faith questions are welcome, anger toward God is met with compassion, and healing is supported by genuine loving kindness.
Client Focus
Session Format: Group, Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Senior, Young Adult
Demographic Expertise: Asian, Black / African American, Christian, Hispanic / Latino, Women clients.
Languages: English
Treatment Approach
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Helps people accept difficult thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, while committing to actions that reflect their values. It blends mindfulness with practical behavior strategies.
- Brainspotting A therapy that uses eye positions to access and process unresolved trauma. It helps release emotional and physical pain held in the body.
- Christian Counseling Blends psychological practices with Christian values and scripture. It provides faith-based support for life challenges and spiritual growth.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) A structured therapy that uses guided eye movements to help process traumatic memories. It is widely recognized for treating PTSD and trauma-related conditions.
Approach Description: Cheerful Heart is led by Shakira who is a Licensed Mental Health Counseling with Diagnostic Privilege (LMHC-D) and over a decade of clinical experience at the intersection of trauma, chronic illness, and women’s mental health.
Our therapeutic approaches include:
✅EMDR for trauma and medical trauma processing
✅Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for chronic pain and illness
✅Motivational Interviewing (MI) for values-based, collaborative goals
✅Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD and anxiety
Fees & Insurance
Fees
- Average Session Fee 225 to 250
- Affordable sliding scale therapy: apply if you may be eligible.
- Shakira's interns see clients via Open Path Collective. She has 2 to 3 financial difficulty slots for the clients who can demonstrate finanical need.
- Out of Network
- We partner with Thrizer to help you understand your out of network benefits and pay your coinsurance instead of the full fee once your deductible is met..
Education & Credentials
Cheerful Heart Mental Health Counseling PLLC LMHC-D, LPC, LPCC, NCC
- Female
- License # 007634-D
- Licensed in NY
- Practicing Since 2013
Education: I graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh (suma cum laude) with my Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Cheerful Heart Mental Health Counseling PLLC Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in White Plains, NY 10603
- Available Online for residents of Multiple States California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina
- Online Therapy Details: I offer HIPAA secure video sessions via Sessions Health
If you're a BIPOC Christian woman struggling with chronic illness, medical trauma, or a crisis of faith, and you're exhausted from being dismissed, gaslit, or told to just pray harder, you're in the right place.
Cheerful Heart Mental Health Counseling provides trauma-informed therapy that honors both your physical and emotional pain and your faith. Here, your whole truth is welcome.