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Clinical Director
Sheida Shavalian serves as Clinical Director at Asana Recovery, where she provides clinical leadership and oversight for therapeutic services across the organization. With over a decade of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Sheida is committed to delivering ethical, evidence-based, and compassionate care for individuals and families navigating mental health and substance use challenges.
Sheida holds a Bachelor of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Tehran, Iran, and a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California. Her academic foundation and clinical training support a thoughtful, integrative approach to treatment grounded in both theory and practice.
Following her graduate education, Sheida pursued extensive training in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy. She engaged in advanced study, clinical supervision, and personal therapeutic work to deepen her self-awareness, professional development, and ethical practice. She believes these foundational elements are essential to providing high-quality, effective clinical care.
To broaden her clinical skill set and better meet the diverse needs of clients, Sheida also trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Her clinical experience spans more than ten years and includes work in both private practice and structured treatment settings, where she has supported individuals through a wide range of mental health concerns.
Sheida has also completed EMDR Basic Training through EMDR Professional Training, an EMDRIA-Approved provider. This evidence-based approach allows her to help clients process trauma, which often underlies both addiction and mental health conditions. Her EMDR training complements her existing expertise in CBT, DBT, and psychodynamic therapy, enabling a comprehensive, individualized approach to trauma-informed care.
In recent years, Sheida expanded her focus to include substance use disorders, integrating her mental health expertise into addiction treatment environments. This work has allowed her to contribute meaningfully to multidisciplinary teams, support patients with complex needs, and remain actively engaged in ongoing professional growth.
In addition to her clinical work, Sheida enjoys translating psychological articles from English to Persian, helping make mental health knowledge more accessible across cultures. She also has a strong interest in films and television series and often engages with psychological analyses and critiques as a way to explore human behavior through storytelling.
Sheida’s approach to therapy and leadership is rooted in empathy, curiosity, and continuous learning. Her diverse clinical background and commitment to ethical practice enable her to guide treatment teams while ensuring that care remains personalized, thoughtful, and grounded in clinical integrity.
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