Dr Shannon Thomas, Psy.D.

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DR Shannon THomas

What does Therapy mean to me?

Therapy should be a warm safe haven, not a battlefield.

Life is hard already. Positive growth and feeling challenged to do the therapeutic work shouldn’t feel like a burden. It’s hard work, and therapy can bring difficult subjects to the surface as we process them. That’s where my skillset comes in. I curate a welcoming, warm space in which my patients can explore and process any topic relevant to their therapeutic journey. I describe my many years of training and the modalities I tend to use most below, but that’s the heart of our work together: the therapeutic relationship. Our strong rapport will be the foundation we build upon throughout our work together, with regular check-ins about what’s working and what adjustments we should make. Therapy with me will never be a cookie-cutter experience. It will be individualized to suit your unique goals, symptoms, culture, and relational style.

More About Me

Training & Education

During the course of my master’s and doctoral training, I had the privilege of receiving widespread training, both generalized and specialized. This has included years of therapy training at a private practice, community mental health center, private hospital, and university counseling center, as well as conducting neuropsychological assessment at the V.A. and ADHD assessment at a hospital. After earning my doctorate in Clinical Psychology and completing my post-doctoral training at a local practice, I found my clinical home in private practice. During the pandemic, realized my passion for the accessibility and convenience that teletherapy offers my patients.

Specialties and Interests

I specialize in both psychotherapy and assessment, with expertise in ADHD, anxiety, LGBTQIA+, and relational issues. I have been conducting LGBTQIA+-related psychological research since 2016, culminating in designing a course to train clinicians to work with queer and trans populations. When I’m not conducting therapy and testing, I teach graduate psychology courses and training workshops and serve as the Membership Chair of the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association (SGVPA): a local organization for mental health professionals to connect, learn from one another, and better serve the community.

Scheduling Style

I pride myself on availability and rapid communication. I am reachable during business hours via phone call, secure text messaging system, or email. I tend to reply to brief emails (e.g.: regarding scheduling) outside of business hours, as my patients often need a rapid response if they are hoping to reschedule an upcoming appointment. I also understand that modern life comes with numerous demands on your time. As such, I offer two scheduling models. Some of my clients prefer to have the stability of a consistent time to meet each week. Others with more hectic schedules prefer to schedule a different time each week, which we schedule at the end of each session for the week ahead. Both are viable options, as long as your mental health is being prioritized with weekly sessions.

My Philosophy

Therapy is an investment, both in the practicality of time and finances and the emotional element of the effort the work both inside and outside of the therapy room requires. As strange as it sounds, my goal is to put myself out of a job. I will be alongside you on your therapeutic journey as long as it is beneficial to you. For some clients, this is short-term. For others, this may be many months or even years. I will not abandon you. However, I also do not believe in extending therapy longer than a person benefits from it. That’s why we’ll continuously check-in about your progress. When therapy is no longer needed, we can begin “termination transition” in which we switch to meeting every other week, then monthly check-ins, and then we end therapy. My door will always be open to you once you are my patient. Once our therapeutic bond is formed, many of my previous patients find it helpful to return for the occasional session during periods of transition.

Dr. Shannon Thomas, Psy.D.

I specialize in patients struggling with anxiety, ADHD and relationship difficulties. Issues with motivation, attention, & sleep commonly go hand-in-hand with primary diagnoses. That’s why I became a certified sleep therapist & earned a fully accredited certification in ADHD Management.

Phone Number

(626) 784-7115

Email

therapy@drshannonthomas.com

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