Dr. Michael Shawn Ellis, PhD, LPC

Practicing Since: 2022

Shawn was born in Memphis, TN but was raised in Tupelo, MS where he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, along with being baptized at age eight. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in 2006, and then his Master of Psychology, with a specialization in Counseling Psychology in 2013. Following, Shawn worked in customer service, management, training, teaching, and inventory management for over twenty years post-Masters. It was those job experiences that helped grow the skills for Shawn to effectively engage with many people and create relationships from many different walks of life. These experiences also allowed him to counsel people and share the Gospel. Shawn was eventually called to finally begin his journey out of the corporate world and pursue the passion God put in his heart for counseling others. In 2015, with the push from his wife, Shawn got accepted into a PhD in Psychology program, with a specialization in Existential, Humanistic, and Transpersonal Psychology, that he completed in 2022.

After becoming unemployed from his retail job in late 2019, Shawn would begin to seek out mental health and counseling opportunities to acquire his clinical hours to become a License Professional Counselor in the state of Connecticut. He obtained the opportunity to work as a care manager and then transitioned into a therapist that provided family-focused therapy to foster children and their foster families for a non-profit agency. Shawn would then shift careers to working as a Professional Counselor with the Department of Corrections for the state of Connecticut at the end of 2023, where he is still employed full-time. The experiences working in the foster care system and prison system allowed Shawn to understand and see the heart of God and why He cares so much for the marginalized.

 In completing his PhD and providing family therapy in the foster care system, Shawn has been able to utilize his specialization in Existential-Humanistic treatment and received training in Family Functional Therapy to aid in his treatment of therapeutic foster children and adolescences, along with their foster families- find hope, stability, peace, acceptance, and love. Working in therapeutic foster care also provided Shawn with the opportunity to gain experience in treating diverse mental health issues, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and personality disorders.

Shawn received his LPC-A in the spring of 2023 and became fully licensed as an LPC in Fall of 2023. He recognizes that the power of the Holy Spirit as the “Great Counselor”, and the work of Jesus makes them the only ones who can provide peace and healing to the mental health concerns present in these times. Shawn only wants to be a vessel to help create an atmosphere where people can encounter the only one that can heal our mind, body, soul, and heart.

Shawn has been married to his wonderful wife since 2009 and has 2 sons. They all currently live together in Southern Connecticut.

Dr. Michael Shawn Ellis, PhD, LPC is licensed in the state of Connecticut (#6868).