Shannon Clark, PhD

Dr. Clark received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University in 2019. She completed her internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI, and her Postdoctoral work at Arizona State University. She is a Licensed Psychologist in the states of California (35494), Missouri (2021045663) and Utah (12016019-2501). During her graduate studies, she specialized in relationships and health. She is a published researcher in the field of Health Psychology. Specifically, she has studied treatments for chronic pain, health behavior change interventions, and the impact of relationships on health. Additionally, Dr. Clark is trained in mindfulness-based approaches, cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotion-focused treatments, and can provide brief or ongoing services for adults suffering from a wide range of mental health concerns, including work and performance-related distress. Her work has been featured in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities , The Journal of Pain , and in the book Social and interpersonal dynamics in pain: We don’t suffer alone. ---------- I practice on a platform that considers the impact of human rights violations on your mental health. I believe that an individual has a right to health care, including having a choice in the healthcare they receive. I believe that a history of oppressive systems impact the mental health of individuals. I believe that you have a right to choose how you express your identity, sexuality, and values so long as they do not infringe of the rights and safety of others. I view mental illness as a reaction to a system of individual and environmental factors. I will not ask you to control factors that are beyond your control. I will encourage growth and change while respecting the limitations of that change. I will not ask you to be ok with things that are not ok. I believe these are issues that impact every person - all humans. I will not shy away from relevant conversations on race, gender, sexual orientation, safety, and the environment as these topics are commonly intertwined with our mental health and our interactions with others. ---------- A note about cost: I do not accept traditional insurance and accept limited coverage from Employee Assistance Programs. This can be very frustrating and difficult, given the cost of therapy. For that reason, I offer sliding scale fees and flexible scheduling as well as superbills and the use of HSA/FSA cards. But I want to also share with you the additional benefits of being a private pay client. When you pay for therapy out of pocket, although the costs are higher, the experience can be quite different. You do not have to have a formal diagnosis to receive services, your information is not shared or submitted to a payer or agency, and the services you receive from me are free of any constraints from a third party. That is, while I provide a high standard of care to all my clients, my private pay clients care is influenced only by my legal/ethical guidelines and my clinical training and expertise. That is, me - the real life doctor - and you make the decisions about your care, not the payer or an automated system. In my years of practice, I have noticed that while the costs can be initially higher for private pay clients, their experience may offset those cost in ways that are and are not financial. I am happy to discuss your options if you would prefer private pay services.