Dr. Susan Shipley

Hi, I am a clinical psychologist. I work with children and adults. You will find that I am respectful of your experiences and goals and we will work together to solve some of those things that concern you. You can depend on me to provide compassionate counseling with keen observation. My clients often have challenges such as anxiety, depression, and grief, and I am experienced working with people bothered by anxiety, eating disorders, panic attacks, OCD behavior and intrusive thoughts. Addiction and recovery are also areas of my expertise. I came to clinical psychology as a school psychologist, in that capacity I worked with children with learning challenges, their teachers and parents to help find solutions for them. I'm also an artist and trained as an art therapist, and we can incorporate our therapy if you so desire. Most clients use cognitive behavioral therapy, which they feel works best for them.

My approach to therapy is guided by our initial discussion and your concerns. I as well as my clients have found that cognitive behavioral therapy works best while using the tools of dialectic behavioral therapy as well. Coming for many years as a school psychologist, I also have insight in what helps children and adults to learn. Kids as well as parents and other adults sometimes use our therapy to express emotions and bring to the four some buried memories. By and large I have found that many of my clients are troubled by uninvited intrusive thoughts that diminish their sense of self, their confidence, and their optimism towards the future. The client and I will work through some of these thoughts that are holding them back. Many of which are not reliable, but rather are based on childhood trauma.

During your first session, we will get to know each other, and you will feel able to talk freely about anything that concerns you. The first session is also an important time to see if we will make a good team. As a team will find the best solutions to your present day concerns and challenges that confront you currently and also may re-emerge from the past both myself and my clients feel that collaboration is most important and that depends on us forming a good trustworthy team. Mindfulness and empowering approaches will help you experience, calm, and unleash your creativity. During the therapeutic process, you will broaden your understanding of yourself, realize your strengths and acknowledge your successes.