Shaina Peng (She/Her)
Counselor/Therapist, LPC Associate, supervised by Frank Cohn (LPC-S)
In-Person in Austin, TX
Online in Texas
Hi, my name is Shaina with Sunrise Counseling Austin! I’m an insight-oriented and relational therapist in Austin, Texas.
The people I work with are thoughtful, emotionally layered individuals seeking both symptom relief and a deeper understanding of themselves, their relationships, and the patterns underneath what they feel.
My approach is insight-oriented and active. I pay close attention to what’s happening beneath the surface and ask questions that help gently unpack emotions, contradictions, defenses, and relational dynamics in a way that feels exploratory rather than clinical or detached. I’m especially interested in the relationship people have with themselves: the parts that long deeply, protect themselves, overthink, idealize connection, yearn for growth, or feel disconnected despite wanting deeper meaning. Therapy is a space to better understand those inner patterns, build self-trust, and create relationships that feel more grounded, connected, and emotionally sustainable.
Client Focus
Session Format: Couple, Family, Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Senior, Young Adult
Demographic Expertise: Asian, LGBTQ+, Pacific Islander, 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.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) One of the most widely used approaches, CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with healthier patterns. It is effective for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns.
- Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) Builds skills in self-kindness and compassion toward others. It is especially helpful for people who struggle with shame or self-criticism.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Combines CBT with mindfulness to help regulate emotions, tolerate stress, and build stronger relationships. Originally designed for borderline personality disorder, it’s now used more broadly.
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Focuses on strengthening emotional bonds in couples or families. It helps people identify negative cycles and create more secure connections.
- Existential / Humanistic Therapy Encourages people to explore meaning, freedom, and authenticity in their lives. It focuses on personal growth and living in alignment with one’s values.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps clients heal by working with different ‘parts’ of themselves, like inner critics or wounded children. It fosters harmony within the self.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Combines mindfulness practices with CBT to prevent depression relapse. It helps people notice thoughts without judgment and respond more calmly.
- Motivational Interviewing (MI) A collaborative, client-centered approach that strengthens motivation for change. It is especially effective for addictions and health behaviors.
- Narrative Therapy Encourages people to view problems as separate from themselves and reframe their life story. It helps build resilience and self-identity.
- Psychoeducational Therapy Provides education and coping tools about mental health conditions. It empowers clients with knowledge and practical skills.
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Helps clients challenge and replace irrational beliefs. It is an action-oriented approach for lasting change.
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Focuses on solutions and future goals rather than past problems. It is practical, short-term, and goal-driven.
Approach Description: Individual therapy focuses on your relationship with yourself: the inner rules, protective strategies, and self-talk that shape how you cope, connect, and make decisions. We work on self-trust, boundaries, nervous system regulation, and shifting patterns like self-criticism, people-pleasing, avoidance, perfectionism, and burnout.
Couples therapy focuses on the cycle you get pulled into during conflict and disconnection. We slow down escalation, build emotional safety, strengthen repair, and practice communication that reduces defensiveness and shutdown. The goal is practical: fewer blowups, less distance, and more steady connection.
Sex therapy addresses the full picture of sexual wellbeing, including desire, shame, body image, boundaries, communication, pleasure, pain, identity, and life-stage changes. Sessions are direct, nonjudgmental, and grounded in helping you feel more at home in your body and clearer in what you want.
Fees & Insurance
Fees
- Average Session Fee Individual: $175 for a 50 minute session; Couples: $225 for 50 minute session
- Affordable sliding scale therapy: apply if you may be eligible.
- I reserve a limited number of sliding scale spots based on availability. If you’d like to be considered, reach out with the rate range you are looking for and I’ll let you know what is currently available.
- Out of Network
Education & Credentials
Shaina Peng LPC Associate, supervised by Frank Cohn (LPC-S)
- Female
- License # 101459
- Licensed in Texas
- Practicing Since 2025
Education: I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (Texas) and practice under clinical supervision from Frank Cohn (LPC-S) as part of the standard licensure process.
Shaina Peng Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Austin, TX
- Available Online for residents of Texas
- Online Therapy Details: Carepatron, Google Meet
A lot of people come to therapy because they know something isn’t working, but they can’t name why. Many people come to therapy feeling functional on the outside, yet internally stuck in self-criticism, people-pleasing, burnout, or uncertainty about what they want and what they need. For others in relationships, maybe the same fight keeps happening, connection feels fragile, or there’s a growing sense of distance even when love is still there.
My approach is active and structured. I pay attention to what is happening in real time and help you slow down enough to understand the pattern, not just the content of the problem. In individual work, we focus on the relationship you have with yourself, including the parts of you that protect, overfunction, shut down, or push through, even when those strategies are costing you. In couples work, that often looks like identifying the cycle you get pulled into, practicing new ways of communicating, and rebuilding emotional safety so repair becomes possible.