Hello! I'm Shawn V. Giammattei, a Clinical Psychologist specializing in individual, couples and family therapy. I maintain a private practice in both San Francisco and Santa Rosa, California. As a narratively informed, culturally sensitive, psychologist, I work collaboratively with clients to find solutions to the problems that are negatively impacting their lives and relationships.
Methods & Approach
My approach to therapy is interactive and solution-focused. I integrate complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized experience that is tailored to each client or family's needs.
With compassion and understanding, I work with individuals, couples, and families to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth and interpersonal relationships they are committed to achieving.
I am an active member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and specialize in the treatment of gender identity issues in children, adolescents and adults, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couple and family issues.
In addition to my clinical expertise, I have presented at national conferences and to general audiences, as well as written on the topics of emotional intelligence, lesbian and gay parenting, psychotherapy with transgender clients, and working with transgender youth and their families.
Interested in becoming a client? Contact Quest Family Therapy us and ask for a free consultation!
Services Provided
I use a variety of effective therapeutic techniques and work with a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues, from family conflicts to debilitating anxiety, depression, and addictions. I also provide services in different locations and formats to make therapy more accessible to my clients. I offer a highly personalized approach that is tailored to each family or client's individual needs and problems presented in order to help them attain the personal growth, repaired relationships, and healing they’re striving for.
Treatment Specializations:
- Family Therapy
- Couples Counseling (Narrative, Emotionally-Focused, & Gottman)
- Parent Training & Support
- LGBTQ+ Affirmative Therapy
- Gender Assessments
- EMDR
- Cognitive-Behavioral Exposure Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Maudsley Method, DBT, & EMDR for Eating Disorders
- Mindfulness Approaches
Problem Area Specializations:
- Addiction & Recovery
- Child/Adolescent Behavioral Problems
- Eating Disorders
- Depression & Anxiety
- Family Conflict
- Gender Identity Issues
- Grief Counseling
- Infidelity
- Obsessive-Compulsive disorders
- Navigating Unique Relationship Issues (poly/kink/BDSM)
- Sexual Identity Issues
- School Avoidance
- Spirituality Issues
- Transgender Issues in Couples & Families
- Trauma & PTSD
- Work & Career Issues
Interested in becoming a client? Contact Quest Family Therapy us and ask for a free consultation!
More About Dr. Shawn
Quick Links: License, Specializations, & Certifications | Education | Professional/Clinical Activities | Professional Affiliations | Additional Training | Professional/Clinical Experience | Awards | Publications & Presentations
License, Specializations, & Certifications
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of California: PSY 22570
Gender Specialist, WPATH
EMDR Level III, Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Gottman Couples Therapy Level II; Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT)
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2007 |
Doctorate of Philosophy/Clinical Psychology: California School of Professional Psychology |
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1997 |
Bachelor of Arts: University of San Francisco |
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1993 |
Associate of Arts: Fresno City College |
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Professional/Clinical Activities
6/2009 |
Visiting Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Alliant International University, San Francisco and Fresno Campuses, CA. Teaching graduate level courses in Chemical Dependency, Psychotherapy with LGBT Individuals, Couples & Families, Supervision, and Transgender Issues in Psychology |
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9/2008 |
Coordinator of Training, Rockway Institute: San Francisco, CA. A National Center for LGBT Psychology, Research, Education, & Public Policy, California School of Professional Psychology |
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5/2006 |
Associate Researcher, Rockway Institute: San Francisco, CA. Research on the mental health and welfare of LGBT individuals and their families |
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2015-Present |
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) |
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2015-Present |
Redwood Psychological Association |
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2015-Present |
Redwood Psychological Association |
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2011-Present |
Child & Adolescent Gender Clinic, UCSF |
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2007-Present |
Collaborative Consultations Group |
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2006-Present |
World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) |
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2006-Present |
American Family Therapy Academy - Board Member |
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2003-Present |
Association of Family Therapists of Northern California
Co-chair of AFTNC 2005/2006 Annual Conference |
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2002-Present |
California Psychological Association |
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2001-Present |
Gay and Lesbian Therapists Association (GAYLESTA) |
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2000-Present |
American Psychological Association (APA) |
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2008-2014 |
SF Bay DBT Collaborative |
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2003-2008 |
Journal of GLBT Family Studies (Haworth Press) |
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1985-2006 |
Western Psychological Association |
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1985-Present |
Psi Chi, National Honor Society in Psychology |
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1980-Present |
Phi Theta Kappa, National Honors Fraternity |
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2008 |
Interpersonal problems, interpersonal solutions: Understanding and treating women’s depression with Valerie I. Whiffen, Ph.D. |
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2007 |
Family Play Therapy: Engaging young families in creative and metaphoric therapeutic play, with Eliana Gil, Ph.D. |
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2006 |
Brief Structural/Strategic Family therapy with Daniel Kusnir, Ph.D. |
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2008 |
Transforming Conflict and Building Love: Integrative Problem-Centered Couples Therapy with Bill Pinsof, Ph.D. |
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2006/7 |
Dialectical Behavior Therapy/ Kaiser Permanente, SRO |
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2005 |
Training in Narrative Therapy: Masters Level Class. with David Epston |
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2005 |
The Treatment of African American Clients and Families: Nancy Boyd Franklin and Anderson J. Franklin |
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2005 |
Transforming Trauma Through Family Narratives: Multicultural Family Institute, NJ |
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2004 |
Building Solutions with Complex and Difficult Families: with Insoo Kim Berg |
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2004 |
Transforming Lives through EMDR Levels I, II, & III: with Laurel Parnell, PhD |
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2004 |
Narrative Maps and Outsider Witness Practices: with Michael White |
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1998 |
Cognitive Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley |
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Professional/Clinical Experience
7/2009-7/2011 |
Adjunct Faculty, Argosy University - SF Bay, Alameda CA. Teaching courses to Clinical Psychology graduate students in treatment issues with the LGBT population, Supervision, and live one-way mirror reflecting teams. |
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7/2009-7/2011 |
Clinical Supervisor, The Pacific Center, Oakland, CA |
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9/2009-5/2011 |
Clinical Supervisor, The Family Institute of Pinole, Richmond, CA |
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5/1998-12/2010 |
Psychological Assistant, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa Psychiatry Department. Provided family therapy for the Adult/Adolescent Eating Disorder Program and the Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program |
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2/2008-9/2008 |
Associate Professor, Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program, University of California, San Francisco, Psychological precepting with medical residents and their patients seen in the clinic |
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9/2006-9/2008 |
Psychologist Resident, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa, Psychiatry Department, Provide direct counseling and assessment services to adult, child and family Kaiser members.
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8/2004-8/2006 |
Psychologist Intern, Family Institute of Pinole, Pinole, CA, Direct counseling and assessment services to primarily low SES, multi-stressed individuals, families, and couples in West Contra Costa County, utilizing a trauma-based, multi-systemic model with an integrative emphasis |
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9/2005-5/2006 |
Clinical Supervisor, Bay Area Community Resources: Gateway Project, Richmond, CA |
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6/2003-5/2006 |
Teaching Assistant, Argosy Graduate School, Richmond, CA. Training clinical psychology graduate students to work with LGBT clients, suicidal clients, and the use of Narrative techniques, Observer/Outsider Witness interviews, and One-way mirror reflecting teams during live supervision |
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9/2002-6/2003 |
Psychologist Intern, Bay Area Community Resources: Gateway Project, Richmond, CA. School based counseling services to adolescents and their families in the West Contra Costa County School district
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9/2000-8/2002 |
Psychologist Trainee/Extern, Alternative Family Institute, San Francisco and Oakland, CA. Direct counseling services to LGBT individuals, couples, and families
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6/1998-1/2001 |
Research Assistant: Paul Ekman, PhD-Human Interaction Lab, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Facial Action Coding System coder. The study of emotions. Production of Facial Action Coding System Manual and stimulus film |
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8/1996-5/1997 |
Teaching/Research Assistant: University of San Francisco, General Psychology, Statistics, and Brain and Behavior |
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1/1997 |
Research Assistant: The Brief Psychotherapy Conference, Maureen O’Sullivan and Paul Ekman. Assisted in the collection and preparation of data on 1200 psychotherapists for the deception research project |
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May 2008 |
Student Speaker for 2008 graduating class, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Francisco Bay Campus |
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May 2006 |
Connell Persico Scholarship for Outstanding Scholarship & Leadership in the LGBT Community, Alliant International University, San Francisco, CA |
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Dec 2004 |
Fahs-Beck Scholar: recipient of the doctoral dissertation research grant, Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation, the New York Community Trust, New York |
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May 2003 |
Outstanding Progress on the Clinical Proficiency Progress Review, California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, San Francisco Bay Campus |
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May 1997 |
Fred Minnegerode Memorial Award for Outstanding Student, College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology Department, University of San Francisco |
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1995 & 1996 |
Fr. William Dunne Scholarship, Awarded annually for academic excellence and community service, University of San Francisco |
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April 1995 |
Psi Chi Chapter Award. Poster presented at Psi Chi Chapter Exchange at WPA, San Jose. |
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Publications and Presentations
Sineath, R.C, Woddyatt, C., Sanchez, T., Giammattei, S. V., Gillespie, T., Hunkeler, E. Owen-Smith, A., Quinn, V. P., Mapel, D. Stephenson, R., Sullivan, P., Tangpricha, V., Goodman, M. (2016). Determinants of and barriers to hormonal and surgical treatment receipt among transgender people. Transgender Health. 1(1): 129-136. doi:10.1089/trgh.2016.0013
Giammattei, S. V. (2016, July 8). Unpacking & contextualizing gender for professionals. Presented to Gender Spectrum Professional Conference, Moraga, CA
Giammattei, S.V. (2015) Beyond the Binary: Trans-negotiations in Couple and Family Therapy, Family Process. 54(3), 418-434. doi: 10.1111/famp.12167
Giammattei, S. V. (2015, November 15). I’m here too! Supporting siblings of gender expansive youth. Presented to Gender Conference East Family Day, Baltimore, MD
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, August 16). Unpacking & contextualizing gender, Part 1 & 2. Presented to Gender Odyssey Professional Family Conference, Seattle, WA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, August 15). Early transitioning: Gender transitions in pre-pubertal children, where's the research? Presented to Gender Odyssey Family Conference, Seattle, WA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, August 14). Unpacking & contextualizing gender, Part 1 & 2. Presented to Gender Odyssey Professional Seminar, Seattle, WA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, June 2). Competency with gender non-conforming/transgender people. Presented to the Kaiser/VA Research Team Meeting, Atlanta, GA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, May 16). Working with adolescents and their families: Assessment for hormones and surgery. Presented to the Kaiser Permanente Pediatric Transgender Care Conference, Lafayette, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, February 27). Working with gender non-conforming/transgender clients across the lifespan. Presented to the Kaiser Permanente Research Team Meeting, San Francisco, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, January 23). Adult transgender clients. Presented to the Alliance Health Project, San Francisco, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2014, February 13). Early transitioning: Gender transitions in pre-pubertal children. Presented to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Bangkok, Thailand.
Giammattei, S. V. (2013, April 12). Working Clinically with LGBT Youth and Families in the Coming Out Process. Presented to Richmond Area Multiservices, San Francisco, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2013, April 11). Applying the collaborative helping model. Presented to A Better Way, Berkeley, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2013, March 21). Working systemically and collaboratively with families in the child welfare system. Presented to A Better Way, Berkeley, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2013, March 14). Working with Gender Creative/Transgender Children, Adolescents and their families. Presented to the Contra Costa Psychological Association, Lafayette, CA.
Giammattei, S. V. (2013, Feb 14). Beyond the Binary: Transgender Clients and Substance Abuse. Presented Kaiser Permanente, Chemical Dependency Recovery Program, San Francisco, CA.
Giammattei, S. V. (2012). Transgender Identities: Moving beyond the binary. PstcCRITIQUES, 57(31). American Psychological Association, doi:10.1037/a0028984.
Ehrensaft, D., Giammattei, S. V., Rees, J.,& Schreier, H. (2012, July 12). Professionals Workshop. Presented at the Gender Spectrum Family Conference, Berkeley, CA.
Giammattei, S. V. & Rees, J. (2012, July 13; 2011, July 30). Talking about gender for transgender teens. Presented at the Gender Spectrum Family Conference, Berkeley, CA.
Giammattei, S. V. (2012, March 16; 2013, April 22). Helping LGBT Youth Navigate the Coming Out Process. Presented to Richmond Area Multiservices, San Francisco, CA.
Giammattei, S. V. (2012, February 25). Affirmative Treatment of Gender-Variant or Transgender Children, Adolescents, and their Families. Presented to the Center for Community Engagement at Lewis and Clark University, Portland, OR
Giammattei, S. V. & Green, R-J (2012). LGBTQ Couple and Family Therapy: History & Future Directions. In J.J. Bigner & J. L. Wetchler (Eds.), Handbook of LGBT-Affirmative Couple and Family Therapy. New York, NY US: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Giammattei, S. V. (2012, January 19). Helping LGBT Youth Navigate the Coming Out Process. Presented to BATSA, San Francisco, CA
Giammattei, S. V. (2011, November 10). Integrating DBT into Family Therapy with Self-Harming and Suicidal Adolescents. Association of Family Therapists of Northern California Workshop. [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from iTunes store/podcasts/Education/Higher Education/Association of Family Therapists of Northern California
Giammattei, S. V. (2011, June 25). The inclusion of LGBTQI in Family Therapy Training. Presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the American Family Therapy Academy, Baltimore, MD
Angello, M. & Giammattei, S. V. (2011, June 24). Supportive therapy for transsexual parents and their children. Presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the American Family Therapy Academy, Baltimore, MD
Giammattei, S. V. (2010, November 13). Working with gender-variant/transgender children, adolescents, and their families in family therapy. Association of Family Therapists of Northern California Workshop. [Audio Podcast]. Retrieved from iTunes store/podcasts/Education/Higher Education/Association of Family Therapists of Northern California
Giammattei, S. V. (2010, June 26). Deconstructing Heteronormativity: Helping Clinicians Recognize, Understand, and Respond to LGBTQ Microaggressions. Presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the American Family Therapy Academy, Boulder, CO
Hudak, J. & Giammattei, S. V. (2010). Doing Family: Decentering Heteronormativity in ‘Marriage’ and ‘Family’ Therapy. AFTA Monograph Series: Expanding Our Social Justice Practices: Advances in Theory and Training, (Winter). American Family Therapy Academy, Washington, DC.
Giammattei, S. V. & Green, R-J (2008, June). Family relations and emotional intelligence of children raised by lesbian or heterosexual parents. Presented at the American Family Therapy Academy, Philadelphia, PA.
Giammattei, S. V., Heidenreich, S. (1998, April). Music effects on judgments of emotional states for filmed sequences. Presented at the Western Psychological Association, Rocky Mountain Psychological Association Joint Convention, Albuquerque, NM.
Giammattei, S. V., Carney, D., Balahadia, D., Johnson, A. (1997,April). Personality, social skill, and sex role orientation. Presented at the 26th annual Western Psychology Conference for Undergraduate Research, Santa Clara, CA.
Carney, D., Giammattei, S. V., Johnson, A., Balahadia, D. (1997,April). Relation of sex role orientation to social and emotional skill. Presented at the 26th annual Western Psychology Conference for Undergraduate Research, Santa Clara, CA.
Giammattei, S. V., Stephenson, T., Sethi, S. (1996, Dec) Computer related stress and a report of somatic complaints. Presented at the University of San Francisco Psychology Department Biannual Student Research Poster Session, San Francisco, CA.
Giammattei, S. V., DeGere, D., Veal, M., Biagini, R., Pan, G. (1996,April). Development of a chapter newsletter: realizing the Psi Chi purpose Presented at the Psi Chi poster session (Chapter exchange) at the 76th annual convention of the Western Psychological Association, Seattle, WA.
Giammattei, S. V., Schmidt, S., Van de Kamp, B. (1995,April). The effect of timbre on the perception of loudness. Poster. Presented at the Psi Chi poster session at the 75th annual convention of the Western Psychological Association, San Jose, CA.
Varadi, S. Giammattei, S. V., Gorski, W. (1995,April). The effectiveness of advertising on increasing membership. Presented at the Psi Chi poster session (Chapter exchange) at the 76th annual convention of the Western Psychological Association, San Jose, CA.
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