Shanara Ellis, PsyD
​(she/her/hers)

Registered Psychological Associate:
​California #PSB94029502

Dr. Shanara Ellis is a registered psychological associate with advanced training in perinatal and women’s mental health, medical trauma, and health equity. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgia Southern University, followed by master’s degrees in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Clinical Psychology, and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Adler University.
Dr. Ellis completed an advanced postdoctoral fellowship at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco, where she specialized in perinatal mental health, NICU psychology, and the integration of behavioral health within medical settings. Building on this foundation, she has provided individual and group psychotherapy in hospitals, community clinics, and interdisciplinary care environments, supporting adults and families across the reproductive and lifespan continuum. Her clinical expertise includes perinatal and postpartum adjustment, trauma recovery, anxiety, depression, racial stress, and identity transitions. She is especially committed to working with BIPOC women and birthing people navigating the emotional challenges and systemic barriers that shape health and healing.
Dr. Ellis’s approach integrates trauma-informed and culturally responsive care with systems-level strategies to expand access to equitable mental health services. She has developed and led seminars on perinatal mental health, facilitated support groups for marginalized birthing individuals, and contributed to institutional initiatives aimed at improving equity in psychological services across hospital systems. With a strong foundation in community-based trauma work, advocacy, and public health–informed psychology, she brings a whole-person perspective to both patient care and program development.
Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Ellis is passionate about bridging gaps between behavioral health and medical care and centering the voices of those most often left out of institutional decision-making. Her work is guided by empathy, accountability, and a shared commitment to healing and justice.

Seeing Clients in:

California

How I Work...

  • I approach therapy as a collaborative relationship grounded in trust, curiosity, and care.
  • ​​I believe healing unfolds within the context of our identities, communities, and the systems that shape our lives.
  • My therapeutic style is relational, integrative, and equity‑oriented.
  • I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness‑based approaches, and Liberation Psychology.
  • I strive to create a space that honors your lived experience while supporting you in developing emotional balance, resilience, and self‑compassion.
  • My work is guided by cultural humility and the belief that each person’s story holds inherent wisdom and strength.
  • I specialize in supporting adults through perinatal and postpartum adjustment, trauma recovery, anxiety, depression, racial stress, and identity transitions.
  • I pay particular attention to the intersections of health, culture, and systemic inequities.​ ​
​I provide online therapy for Adults (18+), Families, & Parents.
  • $200 per 50 minute individual therapy session  ​

Phone Consult

Before the first appointment, we offer a free 5-10 minute phone consultation with administrative staff. We will talk in order to see if the therapist is a good fit for what you are looking for in a counselor.