As a Clinical Psychologist and the Chief Clinical Officer of Central Iowa Family Institute my goal is to help you and your whole family find peace, connection, and joy in your daily life. I’ve been practicing in Iowa since 1996 and have worked with children, teenagers, families, and adults from all walks of life who are living with emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges.

I love my work and experience tremendous joy providing psychological testing to children, teens, and adults, helping them discover the roots of the challenges they have faced while identifying their strengths and areas for growth and ways to overcome and/or manage daily struggles so people can live the life they want. During my feedback sessions clients often express how grateful they are to finally understand what has caused their struggles and to have tools and resources to help them move forward in life.

Similarly, in therapy I often use an approach called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT to help children, teenagers, and adults change their relationship with their thoughts, feelings, and memories so they can achieve life goals and live a rich and meaningful life consistent with their values and “how they want to be”. While we cannot change how other people behave and we may not always be able to change the circumstances that life presents us with, we can always live “how we want to be” as a son or daughter, a sibling, a parent, a friend, a life partner, an employee, a supervisor, and in any other role of our life.

My other true love in this work is providing training and supervision to graduate students, interns, and psychology residents. I have trained graduate students in psychotherapy and psychological testing for over 25 years and have watched these bright, motivated, and passionate individuals go on to work in a wide variety of roles at private practices, educational institutions, VA’s, medical centers, and many other settings. Several of these students have become leaders in their organizations and in Iowa and I am proud to have been at least a small part of their journey.

I am also a Teaching Professor in the Department of Psychology at Iowa State University where I have taught numerous courses to undergraduates and graduate Psychology students since 1996. The courses I most frequently teach include Lifespan Developmental Psychology at the undergraduate level and Cognitive and Personality testing at the graduate level. In my teaching career I have had the honor of both teaching and learning from some of the brightest young minds in our state.

Education

I received my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD in 1989 and then moved to Chicago to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago where I received my M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical and Developmental Psychology. Beyond my formal education, I have learned some of the most important lessons in my life from my clients, my students, my colleagues, my children, and my wife.

Family Life

I live in Central Iowa with my amazingly wise and gifted wife and our three very loving and silly dogs and two cuddly cats. It’s never a dull moment at our house! I have two adult children, a son and step daughter, who I dearly love and look forward to each moment together. My family has truly been the light of my life, especially during the darkest moments.

What’s Next?

Well, you’ve heard about me now:-) The values, goals, and joys that I experience by working with individuals and families and through training graduate students to become tomorrow’s leaders are values shared by the Central Iowa Family Institute.
If the services we offer and the values we hold seem like a good fit for you and/or your family, then please give us a call and let our Psychologists and counselors collaborate with you to “Do What Matters”.

As a Provisionally Licensed Clinical Psychologist at Central Iowa Family Institute, my goal is to help you and your family find new ways to navigate challenges in your everyday emotional, behavioral, and mental health experiences. I recently graduated with my doctorate degree and have had several years of experience throughout my education working with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults across a diverse population. I have particular experience in working with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as individuals with extensive medical history.

‌In addition to providing therapy, I also enjoy completing psychological testing with individuals of all ages, to help them better understand themselves and areas in which they can make changes in their life to be happier and more successful. While feedback sessions can sometimes be difficult, depending on the information provided, it is often the best part of testing, as clients often express gratitude for the information and tools provided and a new sense of clarity going forward.

‌In my approach to therapy, I am always focused on trust, respect, openness, honesty, collaboration, kindness, and a little humor. I use a variety of evidence-based approaches in sessions with clients, including cognitive behavioral therapy, emotion-focused therapy, client-centered therapy, and trauma-informed therapy. I also strive to ensure that I am always challenging clients when appropriate, for continued growth and to encourage new exploration, guiding them through the therapy session as we go along.

‌Education

I received my B.A. in Psychology from Winona State University in Winona, MN in 2014. I then took a couple of years off of school to work as an Applied Behavior Analyst at an Autism Center where I learned significant skills and knowledge that carried me towards my further education and career path. I later attended Augsburg University where I received my PsyD in Clinical Psychology. Throughout my educational journey, I have been privileged enough to experience five separate year-long clinical experiences where I learned not only how to provide psychological assessment and therapy, but also a great deal about myself as a person and my ability to connect with others, which sometimes involves nothing other than sitting together in silence.

‌Family Life

I live in West Des Moines with my boyfriend and our newly added puppy. We enjoy getting out of the house, going for walks, and taking adventures to explore new areas within the city. Both of our families reside in Minnesota, and we often make trips to visit, as family is a large part of both of our lives. I would be nowhere if it were not for these people in my life.

Every person faces challenges throughout life, and Shannon invites you to journey together. Everyone needs a safe place to express emotions and navigate life’s hurdles. Shannon focuses on offering a warm, safe, nurturing environment to facilitate a respectful, nonintrusive, and nonjudgmental relationship where clients can be themselves. Her approach is client-centered, utilizing methods such as CBT, mindfulness, attachment theory, and expressive arts. She emphasizes understanding each client’s story, values, and goals, helping them utilize their strengths and abilities to become more self-aware and self-compassionate, thereby improving their quality of life. Shannon genuinely respects each client as an individual and believes that every person is valuable.

Primarily working with adults dealing with grief/loss or relationship issues, Shannon also focuses on couples and families. She is one of the few certified Discernment Counselors in the Des Moines area, aiming to help couples contemplating or facing divorce to find clarity and determine a way forward.

Counseling with Shannon is about discovery and change, working in partnership with clients. She finds all issues interesting and worthwhile, and there is a mutual learning experience between counselor and client. The goal is to untangle whatever challenges are faced and move towards a brighter future together.