Patrick Shanahan

Patrick Shanahan approaches therapy from the belief that people are generally self-correcting, a perspective informed by the teachings of Carl Jung and Milton Erickson. He views getting stuck as a common part of life that, when addressed, can open the way to healthier patterns. Core to his work is an emphasis on clients' value systems as a guide to finding direction and solutions.

He has studied comparative religions and cultures to better understand and work with a wide variety of people, and he has practiced in many different settings with diverse cultural perspectives and value systems. Currently his greatest clinical strength is in working with individuals and couples.

Shanahan began his career by creating and running an outpatient clinic connected to a runaway and homeless youth shelter, a role he held for his first 18 years in practice. In that work he provided case management along with individual and family therapy to youth and their families, delivering services both within the shelter and out in the community.

His therapeutic approach draws from a range of models, including brief family therapy, problem-solving therapy, structural and strategic systems theory, hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral methods, communication theory, and addiction therapies. He has experience training and supervising paid staff and graduate students.

While working clinically, Shanahan collaborated with a local university on research that helped refine the clinic’s therapy model and processes. He completed 29 hours toward a Ph.D. in family therapy and was offered a fellowship with Washington University’s Ph.D. program. He also worked part time for New Life Christian Counseling, providing professional Christian therapy.

Following those roles, he spent 18 years in managed care assisting members with the use of their mental health benefits and providing phone-based therapy and crisis intervention. His background also includes additional experience in outpatient office settings. He is a Missouri-licensed clinical social worker (LCSW number 000602) and brings 44 years of clinical experience to his practice.