About Me.

Hello! My name is Dr. Uma Shanmugham and I am a licensed psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the state of Illinois.

I earned my B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University [2008] and then received my M.A. in Counseling Psychology [2013] & PsyD in Clinical Psychology [2016] from William James College (formerly known as the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology). For both my Masters and Doctorate theses, I focused on examining the experiences of women in the sex industry.

My Training:

My training and work have been in individual, group, and family therapy settings ranging from community health centers, schools, outpatient clinics, and in-home care. In these various settings, I have facilitated treatment with individuals, groups, couples, and families of culturally and diagnostically diverse backgrounds. Additionally, I have extensive experience working with immigrants, refugees, and asylees across the lifespan.

Finally, I have had multiple years of experience teaching counseling and clinical psychology graduate students. Classes I have taught have included Diversity, Difference & Inclusion in Clinical Practice, Existential-Humanistic Psychotherapy, and Career Counseling.

• Additional trainings I have taken that embody my work:

  • Perinatal Mental Health Certification Program (PMH-C)

  • Narrative Therapy Level 1 Training

  • The Clinical Use of Dreams in Psychotherapy

  • Spirituality, Jung, and the Use of Images in Psychotherapy

My Therapeutic Style:

Clients come to therapy for a number of reasons, such as identity shifts, grief and loss, perinatal and parenthood struggles, low self-esteem, trauma, life transitions, relationship & family struggles, and spiritual crises. Whatever your pull to come to therapy, I acknowledge the courage it takes to participate in your healing. Through person-centered and feminist approaches, I collaborate with clients in the process of re-defining who they are that feels the most authentic to themselves. My clinical "toolbox" includes mindfulness, a trauma-informed lens, existentialism, diversity practices, and a nonjudgmental stance.

Additionally, I am curious about how our marginalized identities and/or privileges influence how we see ourselves and our relationships with others. Ultimately, I hope that we can partner with your courage and figure out together how we can answer the questions you may have about your experiences and struggles.

I welcome individuals of all races, ethnicities, immigrant statuses, castes, gender identities, sexual orientations, ability statuses, body sizes, and socioeconomic statuses.

A little bit about me:

I was born and raised on Long Island, NY and have called a few places home — Boston for about twenty years, Chennai during middle school, and Chicago while completing my postdoc. Now I’m based in Kansas City, where I live with my husband.

Outside of work, I enjoy tending to my ever-growing collection of plants, exploring art galleries, and hunting for vintage treasures at estate sales. I also love practicing yoga, going on long walks, scrapbooking, and finding joy in creative projects in our 100-year-old home.