Dr. Shannon Bennett is a Licensed Psychologist and Licensed School Psychologist who has been practicing since 2014.  Born and raised in California, Dr. Bennett completed her undergraduate education at the University of California – Berkeley completing a double major in Psychology and Sociology.  Upon graduation, Dr. Bennett moved across the country to begin her graduate training in School Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  While initially earning her Masters of Arts degree in School Psychology, Dr. Bennett completed training rotations in various school sites, within a developmental clinic at a children’s hospital, in an impatient children’s mental health unit, and in a clinic assessing children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.  To build additional cultural competence, Dr. Bennett spent a semester abroad in Portugal during her graduate training where she collaborated on research projects and obtained knowledge about the psychological assessment process in a different cultural context.

 

As the capstone experience of her graduate training, Dr. Bennett completed a yearlong APA-Accredited Internship at the Florida State University Multidisciplinary Center (MDC).  During this year, Dr. Bennett received supervised training experiences in comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Disorders, individual and group therapy to address a variety of childhood mental health concerns, and traditional school psychology services.  After completing her internship and earning her Ph.D. in School Psychology, Dr. Bennett completed a postdoctoral residency at the MDC and has since been continuously employed there as a Staff Psychologist.  In addition to continuing to provide comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for school-age children, Dr. Bennett’s role also includes supervising doctoral-level interns and practicum students in completing evaluations and co-directing the Attention Disorders Clinic.  Additionally, Dr. Bennett teaches the Ed.S. School Psychology Practicum course and oversees their yearlong practicum experience in some of our local school districts.  Relatedly, Dr. Bennett directs the supervision experience practicum students receive from doctoral-level interns. 

 

After becoming Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Certified Therapist and providing these services to families who seek to better their relationship with their children, Dr. Bennett has recently been afforded the opportunity to use her experience and skill in therapy, supervision and consultation to training up-and-coming PCIT therapists.

 

Throughout the years, Dr. Bennett’s approach when providing therapy to clients and training to students has always been to use evidence-based approaches and meet them where they are with empathy.  Dr. Bennett also uses a strengths-based approach such that she identifies the positive aspects family, children, and trainees come in with while seeking to build upon these attributes.  Dr. Bennett counts it as a privilege that she gets to support the lives and dreams of so many as part of her career, especially given the impact they all have on her own professional and personal growth.  In terms of professional affiliations, Dr. Bennett has maintained membership with the Florida Association of School Psychologist.

 

Outside of living out her wildest career dreams, Dr. Bennett also gets to live out her biggest dreams at home.  She is married to a wonderful and loving husband, and together they have a beautiful, active son with another one on the way. Dr. Bennett and her family enjoy traveling to visit family, exploring Tallahassee where they reside, and staying involved in their church.