Staff

Shanna embraces the potential for healing and personal growth. At the core of their therapeutic approach, Shanna prioritizes honesty and a non-judgmental attitude on the journey toward well-being. Clients who choose Shanna, often seek support for various challenges, including anxiety, depression, the effects of trauma, and a desire to explore a more fulfilling way of life. Through collaborative therapeutic methods, they maintain a sense of curiosity and unwavering compassion, holding a space to explore hurt parts of self and work towards your version of wellness and wholeness.

Shanna employs psychoeducation and skill-building (when needed) for enhance coping capacities. Yet the focus of mental health healing starts with building a strong therapeutic relationship rooted in regulation, exploration, and promoting trust. 

Shanna Fishel, Founder and Manager of You Got Choices LLC is a freelance consultant, trainer/educator, and mental health clinician. Shanna’s professionalism is based on an impressive list of education and training opportunities, and a lifelong investment in personal and professional growth.

EDUCATION

• Smith College: Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), Clinical Social Work (2019)
• Haifa University, Division of Continuing Education: Program approved by American Association of Sexual Education, Counseling and Therapy (AASECT). 364 academic hours and 100 hours of practicum, focused on sexuality for people with special needs (2016)
• Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, B.S. – Elementary Education and Natural Science and Mathematics, Minor in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, Salutatorian (2004). M.Ed in special education (2005) 

LICENSES

• LICSW # 125188 in Massachusetts
• AASECT License – Certified Sex Educator

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

• National Association of Social Workers
• Legislative Advocacy Committee (LAC) @ National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter, committee member
• Human Right Committee, Committee Member @ Center for Human Development (CHD)
• Kink Aware Professional – Service provider. National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. Upholding Your rights. Your privacy. Your Freedom.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Integrative Psychiatry Institute – Psychedelic Therapy Training (2024-current) towards certification.
• Body Trust Groundwork Training, The Center for Body Trust: a new way of thinking about food, weight, health, bodies and healing – an alternative to the dominant weight paradigm (2023) 
• Trauma & Memory Workshop: Clinical Strategies to Resolve Traumatic Memories and Help Clients Reclaim Their Lives. Speaker(s): Peter Levine, PhD (2022)
• The 10 Core Competencies of Trauma, PTSD, Grief & Loss (2020)
• Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis (West), Postgraduate Fellowship Program (Nov 2019 – May 2020)
• Emergence of Threat and Trauma as an Expected Challenge in Adult Romantic Relationships: A Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy and Secure Functioning (2019)
• Gottman Method Couple Therapy, level 3.  Seattle, WA (2018)
• Gottman Seven Principles Program Educator, Chicago, IL (2016) 
• The 2015 Summit: Emotion, Trauma, and DBT: Integrating Research & Intervention. Seattle, WA (2015)
• Israeli Family Planning Association, License: “Healthy Sexuality Educator” 112 academic hours and 50 hours of practicum (2013)
• WIZO Israel, Herzeliya, Israel “Leading New Social Order”, 120 hr. program for the advancement of leadership and entrepreneurship, (2014)
• Circle Council Training level I, International-acclaimed program providing tools to facilitate group listening-circles (2012)