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Shannon Hamrick

Staff Therapist

Credentials
  • Master of Divinity
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Life Stages
  • Children, under 5 years
  • Children, 5-12 years
  • Adolescents, 13-17 years
  • College, Young Adults
  • Adults
  • Seniors, 65+ years
  • Couples
  • Families
Areas of Focus
  • Child and play therapy
  • Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts
  • Faith and spirituality
  • LGBTQ+
  • Parenting
  • Premarital Counseling/Marriage Prep
  • Relationship issues
Education
  • Master of Social Work – University of Michigan School of Social Work
  • Master of Divinity – Boston University School of Theology
  • Play Therapy Certification Program – Antioch University, Seattle, WA

Philosophy

I am a licensed clinical social worker and ordained minister with a passion for seeing, knowing, and realizing the sacred worth of all people. I believe we are relational in nature and it is in relationships of all kinds that we learn how to live. I believe we are always in process, all experiences are opportunities for learning and growth, and we can use both strengths and struggles to develop into healthier, more authentic individuals and reduce overall distress. I create a non-judgmental space for clients to show up as they are, work on their goals, and be met with compassion and support.

For child and youth clients, I believe that parental involvement is an important part of an effective therapeutic process. I give parents tools to decrease conflict and increase connection in the parent-child bond, and to develop a healing atmosphere at home as well as in the therapy office.

I help all clients develop and utilize the resources they identify within their own lives, including personal, family, community, faith/spiritual, professional, intellectual, and social. I provide a safe space for people of all faiths, beliefs, gender identification, backgrounds, and orientations, and seek to support all people in more fully becoming the persons they were created to be.

I provide play therapy for children; individual therapy for teens and adults; family counseling; and both relationship and pre-marital couples counseling.

Shannon has a passion for working with children, youth, families, couples, and individuals to holistically learn and grow on their life journey. She started her career after seminary as a Director of Children and Youth Ministries. After earning her MSW from Michigan, Shannon found her passion in her post-graduate Fellowship Year at the Pastoral Counseling and Education Center and as a staff member afterward. Her Play Therapy Certificate program at Antioch University in Seattle, WA gave Shannon additional tools and resources to further develop her work with children and families – including her own – and she has personally experienced the value of positive parenting, authentic connection, and ongoing personal growth as a means to a healthy, satisfying, and joyful life. Shannon’s training through the Animal Assisted Counseling Academy at Texas State University allows her to include her dog Maggie as a co-therapist some days. They make a great therapy team!

Shannon values family, connections, and self-development. She challenges herself to learn new skills, seek whole-body wellness, and see life as an adventure to live. She enjoys listening to a variety of podcasts and audio books, playing with her family (human and canine), and traveling.

Additional areas of focus:
Child and play therapy
Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts
Faith and spirituality
Grief and loss
LGBTQ+
Life changes/transitions
Marriage, couples
Parenting
Pre-engagement, pre-married
Relationship issues

Certifications

  • Play Therapy
  • Child-Parent Relationship Therapy
  • Sandtray Therapy
  • Trained facilitator in PREPARE/ENRICH pre-marital assessment and counseling
  • Ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church