About Shauna Leigh Shepherd
Professional Background
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia with a deep respect for the courage it takes to begin therapy. I earned my Master's in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies - a program rooted in creativity, depth psychology, and mind-body integration. My professional background includes over a decade of experience supporting individuals through trauma recovery, life transitions, grief, relational challenges, and spiritual emergence.
I am Certified in EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, a psychotherapy technique that uses bilateral stimulation, guided eye movements or somatic, to help individuals process and heal from the emotional distress of traumatic memories.
I am also a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT 200) that uses mind/body integration techniques that move beyond talk therapy to resolve trauma.
Creative Arts
My approach is grounded in my graduate training in counseling psychology with an emphasis in expressive arts therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies. I integrate the healing power of creative expression -such as movement, drawing, writing, and sound - into sessions when aligned with your goals. These practices offer intuitive pathways to deepen self-awareness, process emotions, and reconnect with your inner wisdom.
Ecopsychology & Earth-Based Healing
I draw on principles of ecopsychology to support reconnection with your inner self, with others, and with the living earth. Whether through nature-based reflections, somatic grounding, or cultivating an embodied sense of belonging, this approach honors the deep interrelationship between personal healing and our connection to the natural world. In a time of disconnection and overwhelm, tending to our relationship with the Earth can restore clarity, resilience, and meaning.