Contemplative Psychotherapy Therapists in Memphis, TN

Do you consider yourself spiritual, empathic, intuitive, creative, deep-thinking, or highly sensitive (HSP)? Do you sometimes struggle with emotional overwhelm, anxiety or depression? If you sense you have wounded inner child defense patterns from the past that block you from moving forward into the authentic self-expression of your needs and aspirations, I invite you into a therapy space where your originality, inner imagery, thoughts, and feelings can lead you towards greater wholeness, strength, and maturity.

I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families to create meaningful, measurable change in how they feel, function, and relate to others. My approach is evidence-based, empathic, and solution-focused, with therapy centered on helping you achieve clear goals so that progress is noticeable in daily life. I work with a wide range of concerns—including anxiety, low mood, loss, self-doubt, and life transitions—and have particular expertise in performance psychology, public speaking anxiety, panic attacks, fear of flying, and questions of purpose or meaning. If you’re unsure whether therapy is the right next step, I also offer a one-time consultation assessment to help clarify what may be contributing to your current stress and identify effective pathways forward, whether through therapy or other strategies.

Dr. Jenny Shields specializes in supporting healthcare providers, executives, and high-achieving professionals who feel overwhelmed, burned out, or stuck—especially those who’ve dedicated their careers to caring for others while quietly neglecting their own well-being. Her approach is deeply rooted in evidence-based behavioral science, balanced with genuine warmth, empathy, and down-to-earth candor. Known for quickly pinpointing core issues, Dr. Shields offers clarity and practical tools to help clients step out of survival mode and into meaningful, lasting change—reclaiming their sense of self, purpose, and professional fulfillment.

Something in you knows that what you're carrying runs deeper than the presenting problem. Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, capable, and outwardly composed-yet internally they live with anxiety, depression, chronic tension or pain, relentless self-criticism, or a sense that something essential is blocked, muted, or just out of reach. These struggles may surface in mood, in the body, in behavior, or in relationships-including sexuality and intimacy-but they are rarely contained to any one area. They tend to reflect deeper emotional and relational patterns formed early in life, often before language, that continue to shape how a person approaches closeness, vulnerability, agency, pleasure, and self-expression. My work centers on how early experience shapes the capacity for self-regulation, desire, connection, and meaning throughout life-and particularly on how people come to know what they need and want, how they learn to express or inhibit those impulses, and what happens when these capacities become conflicted, constricted, or difficult to sustain. I integrate psychoanalytic hypnotherapy, somatic awareness, and clinical sexology within a reflective, depth-oriented process. Hypnosis functions as a central clinical tool-creating conditions for deeper internal contact with emotional, bodily, and unconscious experience that can be difficult to reach through conversation alone. The aim is not only relief from symptoms, but the development of a more coherent and compassionate relationship with one's inner life: sensations, emotions, impulses, and desires. This work is oriented toward lasting psychological change-and toward greater freedom in how one relates to oneself, one's body, and one's capacity for connection, authenticity, and vitality. It is best suited to those ready to move beyond symptom management toward something more fundamental.

I have been a psychologist in trauma work for many years, thus I can tailor my approach to meet your needs. Different ages and developmental stages throughout the life span require differing approaches. People generally wait to start therapy until their symptoms are really bothersome. I am currently accepting new patients, with no waiting list.

Memphis has among the highest rates of poverty and violent crime in the United States, and its therapists frequently specialize in trauma, PTSD, and the psychological effects of chronic community-level violence and economic stress. The city's African American community — which comprises a majority of the population and carries a rich cultural heritage rooted in blues, soul, and civil rights history — drives strong demand for culturally affirming therapists who understand racial trauma and intergenerational resilience. Regional One Health and Baptist Memorial Health Care provide major institutional mental health resources alongside a growing network of community clinics. Memphis's deep musical identity sustains a creative community with its own distinctive mental health needs around artistic expression, economic precarity, and the weight of legacy.

Gender ID

	55%	Female
	45%	Male

Session Type

	73%	Online Only
	27%	In Person and Online

Top Specialties

91%	Anxiety or Fears
82%	Depression
55%	Loss or Grief
55%	Relationship and Marriage Counseling
55%	Stress
45%	Codependency
45%	Divorce

Ages Served

100%	Adult
64%	Young Adult
45%	Senior
36%	Teen

Client Focus

45%	Women
36%	Men
27%	LGBTQ+
18%	Buddhist
18%	Jewish

Contemplative Psychotherapy therapists in Memphis, TN

Shelley Klammer

Alan Jacobson, Psy.D.

Dr. Jenny Shields

Dr. Stéphanie Gamache, PhD

Nancy Hayes-Gary, Psy.D.