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Plant Shadow
Shea Davis

Shea Davis, AMFT

Therapist for Blended Families, Couples, and Individuals
Blending a family means building something beautiful out of complexity—and that takes skill, support, and time.

 

At the Blended Family Counseling Center, I help families navigate the real-life challenges that come with second-chapter relationships, parenting across households, and healing from past hurts—so that every member of your family can feel seen, safe, and valued.

My Story: A Long-Term Marriage and the Reality of Starting Over
 

For 24 years, I was married and deeply committed to building a lasting partnership. We raised children, managed households, and tried our best to stay connected through stress, misalignment, and emotional distance.
 

When our marriage ended, it wasn’t due to a lack of love—it was due to the cumulative weight of unmet needs and unresolved pain.

I know firsthand what it feels like to pour yourself into a family system and still feel stuck, unseen, or emotionally alone.
 

Parenting Through Challenge
 

I’m a mother of two adult children, now 29 and 22.

One of my children struggled profoundly in traditional systems, which demanded that I learn to parent with creativity, flexibility, and relentless advocacy. Parenting through intensity, confusion, and heartbreak taught me how to show up for others while still tending to my own nervous system and boundaries.
 

Recovery from Addiction and Trauma
 

Years ago, I walked into a 12-step meeting broken by addiction and relational pain. Recovery didn’t just get me sober—it helped me reclaim my voice, reconnect to my values, and start over as a mother, partner, and woman.

That recovery lens deeply informs my work with individuals and families who feel fractured or lost.
 

Life Inside a Blended Family
 

Today, I live in a blended family of my own.
 

When I remarried, my kids were in their teens and twenties. I stepped into a complex new reality of managing grown children, navigating step-relationships, and redefining what family meant after divorce. We’ve faced it all: shifting roles, loyalty binds, different parenting styles, divided holidays, and emotional undercurrents from past relationships.
 

There were moments of friction, but also moments of deep learning.

I came to understand how important it is to acknowledge grief—not just for the loss of a marriage, but for the family vision that didn’t materialize. We had to build trust slowly, respect differences, and create space for each person to find their footing. My blended family has been one of my greatest teachers.

These lived experiences are why I’m so passionate about helping other families create a new path forward.

Counseling Blended Families
 

Blended families are complex by nature.

People enter with different histories, attachment styles, and expectations. Add in children adjusting to new dynamics, and the emotional load can feel enormous. I’ve lived this—not just studied it.
 

As a therapist, I help blended families:
 

  • Clarify parenting roles and step-parenting boundaries

  • Navigate loyalty conflicts without making anyone “wrong”

  • Repair ruptures in co-parenting or ex-spouse dynamics

  • Acknowledge grief over the loss of a first family system

  • Build trust slowly and intentionally over time

  • Adjust to emerging adult stepchildren or generational role shifts
     

Blended families aren’t broken—they’re layered.

You don’t need to become a picture-perfect family—you need to become a functional, honest one.

That’s what I help you build.

When Addiction—or Other Struggles—Impact a Blended Family
 

Every blended family comes with baggage, but some carry more visible scars—like addiction, betrayal, or emotional neglect.

These challenges don’t just disrupt the individual; they affect the entire family ecosystem.
 

In blended families, the ripple effect can be magnified by fragile trust, unclear roles, and unspoken tension.

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Whether the issue is substance use, untreated trauma, chronic anxiety, or emotional dysregulation, I help families:
 

  • Rebuild safety and predictability after chaos or instability

  • Understand how each family member is affected—even if they’re not talking about it

  • Create open dialogue without blame or shame

  • Support healing while maintaining clear boundaries
     

You don’t have to have it all figured out.


You just need a space where your family can slow down, get honest, and start making intentional choices.

What I Bring to This Work
 

I bring the insight of someone who has lived through it—long-term marriage, divorce, parenting through challenge, recovery from addiction, and the daily reality of blended family life.

I also bring clinical training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), trauma-informed care, and relational systems.
 

In our work together, you won’t get judgment or unrealistic expectations. You’ll get practical support, deep empathy, and a partner who believes your blended family can thrive—not just survive.
 

If you’re ready to do things differently, I’d be honored to walk with you.

Modalities & License
 

Modalities

 

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Polyvagal theory

  • Trauma-informed care

  • Gottman Method
     

License:
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