I came to be a marriage and family therapist very thoughtfully after a career as a school guidance counselor. I worked in a rural school district and saw daily the need for mental health services for youth and families. This belief was strengthened further in my first relational counseling position as a family therapist working in a therapeutic school/day treatment with students impacted by significant persistent mental health conditions and the aftermath of emotional trauma. The process of bearing witness to families working on attachment, relationships, and trauma reduction solidified my therapeutic lens in knowing that health, wellness, and peace can only come through the pathway of attending to relationships within yourself and between yourself and others with whom you are vulnerable and intimate. To me, relational work is at the heart of every symptom, every diagnosis, every emotion and cognition.
In 2003, I earned my Marriage and Family Certificate from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, a specialized training certificate that complements my graduate degree in counseling psychology. In addition to my direct practice with clients, I serve as an adjunct professor and academic advisor in the graduate program of marriage and family therapy at Saint Mary’s University. I also provide supervision to marriage and family therapists in training as a nationally recognized American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Supervisor.
After years of working with 2SLGBTQIA+ folx and individuals with childhood and relational trauma, my focus has shifted to giving my time and energy to the creation of a mental health clinic that considers the importance of identity and the impact of societal narratives about intersecting identities as the primary consideration in getting competent mental health systemic care. As the clinical director of IRWB, it is my intention to teach and nurture our therapists to provide compassionate, considerate, and sometimes challenging therapeutic interventions for the people within our community. In 2021, after on-boarding numerous dynamic and dedicated therapists, my role transitioned within the clinic to oversee the training and development of talent and the day to day operations of clinical and administrative supervision.
***Shawn has limited clinical availability for direct service with clients and outside LMFT supervision, please contact the clinic to inquire about being placed on a waitlist or to get further information about his availability.
In my spare time, you will find me consuming all that pop culture has to offer with music, television, books, podcasts, and movies.
Patronus: Fox, Owl
Enneagram: 6
MBTI: ISFJ
CliftonStrengths Harmony, Consistency, Focus, Empathy, Restorative
