Christopher Shaw, Founder & Shamanic Practitioner
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Christopher Shaw, 49, is an addiction & trauma survivor, mid-life crisis survivor, divorce survivor, Sacred Space Holder for 17 years, Shamanic Practitioner, Licensed Psychotherapist for 17 years, Addiction and Trauma Specialist for 17 years, Plant Medicine-Assisted Therapy Specialist, Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Shamanic Quantum Sphere Healing Practitioner, Certified Personal Trainer & Motivational Speaker & Educator, and Light Language Singer/Speaker. Christopher plays the harmonium, piano, sound bowls, and has been singing his entire life. Christopher currently lives between Austin, TX, and Bucerias, Mexico.
In the beginning...
I have come to understand that life is a journey: a journey that can often be experienced with obstacles, challenges, ups, downs, highs, lows, and sometimes violent storms. Often times, these obstacles have a crippling effect, leaving us feeling hopeless, miserable, and fearful. Many of us find ourselves angry or stuck in our present reality, resentful and regretful of our past, and afraid for our future. Many of us escape through sex, drugs, alcohol, work, pornography, relationships, social media, gaming, shopping, and countless other ways, only to find ourselves even more discouraged, afraid, depressed, anxious, and/or traumatized. Good news: there are solutions. With the help of my guides, I have found them...and you have them too. My mission is to serve humankind - to help humans navigate the ever-complicated human experience...so that we all can maximize our precious time here on Earth and raise our vibrations! My Solution After battling addiction for many years, I discovered a new way to live through psychotherapy, the 12-steps, physical fitness, and spiritual practice. Ramtha said, "Your greatest accomplishment in life will be living through it." Today, living is my way of life. Today, I can look at myself in the mirror without shame, guilt, sadness, and self-hatred. I can appreciate my past and not run from it. I can form meaningful loving relationships with others because I have first learned how to love myself. I have learned how to overcome obstacles and cope with worry, anxiety, and depression. I have learned to enjoy every moment, good or bad, and I do my best to practice mindfulness and live in the here and now. My Past Careers I obtained my Bachelors in Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Minor in Advertising from Southern Methodist University in 1997. My dance career took me to New York City, Rome, Milan, Naples, Sicily, Bari, and Genova, to name a few. I became fluent in Italian and made Rome my home for five years. After completing a two-year tour of An American in Paris, a knee injury forced my early retirement. For years afterward, I experienced a wide range of careers in various professions (Press & PR, Graphic/Web Design, Retail Manager, Airline Industry - Inflight Crew & Interpreter, Creative/Art Direction, and others); however, everywhere I turned, my addiction was always with me. My Turning Point Shuttered in a cold dark basement room in New York City during the spring of 2008, I awoke to a voice saying, "This is not what you are meant to do with your life. Get help now!" I immediately sought help for my addictions & mental health challenges, entered inpatient treatment, and the rest is history! My Purpose My sobriety has given me life and connected me with purpose -- to be a vessel of healing for others and the world -- which led me to obtain my Masters in Social Work from Wayne State University. My training at WSU was centered in Clinical Social Work with a psychodynamic concentration. My research areas included the following: addiction & recovery, dual-diagnosis treatment, program development, specialized individual and group therapy, MSM and methamphetamine/high risk sexual behaviors, sex addiction, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTQ- Affirmative therapy. My Experience In 2008, I began working with diverse populations in a variety of clinical settings such as United Way of Detroit (Case Manager for 211 Program which helped homeless recovering addicts find employment and housing) and Oakdale Recovery Center (Dual-Diagnosis Treatment Center with 5 levels of care). In 2010, I moved to Austin, Texas, where my Higher Power led me to La Hacienda Treatment Center in Hunt, TX, where I served as a full-time weekend therapist and evening shift leader. From June of 2012 to May 2014, I led the Collegiate Intensive Outpatient Program at La Hacienda's Solutions in Austin, TX. Under my leadership, I developed and implemented an 8-Week IOP programming schedule specifically designed for Collegiate-aged individuals ages 18-24. In 2013, I founded Psychotherapy for the Mind, Body, & Spirit PLLC, and I began seeing clients in private practice in August 2013. In May 2014, I leaped into full-time private practice. As my practice evolved and the need for services increased, I founded SHAW Center for Healing PLLC in January of 2015 and launched the Sexual Health & Wellness Program in December 2015. Since 2015, SHAW Center for Healing collectively helped over 450 clients and their loved ones, which is truly a miracle. Over 80 of our clients, or SHAWEsomes as they have called themselves, comprise our SHAW101 Alumni group, many of whom are thriving in their recoveries and leaders in their recovery communities. We truly do recover! SHAW Center for Healing provided essential services to our beloved Austin, Texas. We educated our community about Sex Addiction and SHAW (Sexual Health And Wellness), informed our community that recovery from sex addiction, drug/alcohol addiction, multiple addictions, and trauma IS possible, advocated for eradication of “addictophobia” and we played our part in reducing the stigma attached to addiction, especially sexual addiction. Before COVID-19, SHAW Center for Healing was on the path toward its second expansion. COVID changed the lives of many and turned our worlds upside down. And as a result of such unexpected and dramatic changes, our plans for expansion and continued operations vanished overnight. SHAW Center for Healing closed its doors on May 25th, 2020. I decided to preserve its vision and return to private practice in the summer of 2020, while deciding what I wanted to do next. My recent personal journey... In 2018, my entire personal world turned upside down when my I discovered that my beloved spouse was cheating on me. My spouse soon thereafter went to inpatient treatment for sex addiction, and I went to inpatient treatment to heal my betrayal trauma. In the end, my spouse decided to end the marriage. My divorce in 2019 and the closing of the SHAW Center in 2020 left me feeling broken and lost. My perfect world crumbled around me. For the last five years, I’ve been in a mid-life crisis surviving but not thriving… going through the motions…experiencing what I needed to experience to learn and grow. In 2024, at Age 49, I decided enough was enough. So, I got quiet and tuned into Spirit, my Higher Self, that whisper that we can only hear in the silence…and I was given a healing plan…a treatment plan of sorts…So, I listened. I consulted. I prayed. I followed direction. And the healing began immediately. I then embarked upon an 8-day plant medicine retreat in the Mexico. I had 3 intentions for the retreat: Freedom, Clarity, and Unity. I wanted to heal my body, mind, and Spirit … I wanted to find purpose again…I wanted to rediscover that zest for life… happiness… and serenity… Broken, lost, and devoid of any spiritual connection or hope for my future, I surrendered. And I was set free! The me as I knew it died in Mexico and Christopher was restored. I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I returned from the retreat with freedom, clarity, direction, purpose, hope, faith, joy, wisdom, self-love, a vision for my future, a higher vibration, a sacred family, a spiritual path/practice that resonates with my Soul, a brilliant wise powerful Spiritual mentor/advisor/teacher who has a lifetime of experience with Plant-Medicine Healing, the ancient wisdom of Mother Earth’s medicines, Guru Nityananda, Guru Muktananda, and Gurumayi who work through me, who teach/guide me, who help me serve humanity to the fullest, my dear Spirit animals, and oneness with Consciousness. Om Namah Shivaya! Om Gurus Om! I am eternally grateful for these gifts and the endless gifts that continue to arrive each and every day. And I am eternally grateful for all of you who have believed in me, supported me, and loved me no matter what. Before the retreat, I used to think that I didn’t have many Thanksgivings left. Today, I don’t even want to sleep. I don’t want to miss even one second of my life. My Self-Care For my continued spiritual, mental, and physical health, and so that I can be clean and clear to serve others effectively, I engage in rigorous daily spiritual practices: prayer, meditation, mantras, and kundalini yoga (mornings 4AM-6AM daily and an hour of meditation before bed), daily spiritual reading and studies, regular energy healing, acupuncture, shamanic healings, massage, eating healthy, staying sober, and lighter weightlifting these days. I surround myself with positive persons and have let go of those who are not supportive or toxic. I limit my time on social media and reach out to my beloved friends and family on a regular basis. I also consult and follow spiritual, professional, and personal direction from my Mentor/Maestro, Richie Morales Shivananda, and my Guru Nityananda. Trainings & Continuing Education It is extremely important for me to continually develop my professional skills and abilities by regularly participating in continuing education courses. Most Recent Trainings In 2023, I began studying plant medicine and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy protocols/techniques because my clients were coming in asking for help as they prepared for their own plant-medicine ceremonies. In 2024, I was given the honor to study and learn under a brilliant healer and plant-medicine man, Richie Morales Shivananda. I am fortunate for his ongoing wisdom, advice, and teachings, and have been given his and the Guru's blessings to begin facilitating my own retreats. I have also completed numerous educational courses on the various plant medicines and I attended the Kambo Practitioner Course Part I in September of 2024 and completed my advance Kambo training with Richie in December 2024. In October 2024, I began Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training with Body Soul Ojai in California. I have been given the green light to teach while continuing to attend monthly training courses and will be certified in May 2025. Past Significant Trainings In 2015, I completed over 60 hours of Continuing Education courses including CSAT training with leading sex addiction experts Dr. Patrick Carnes, Dr. Kenneth Adams, Dr. Stefanie Carnes, and Thomas Tullos at the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals. In December 2016, I completed my last hour of supervision (30 hours completed) for my CSAT and was awarded official certification on January 17, 2017. In January 2018, I became a CSAT-Supervisor, and am now certified to mentor CSAT-Candidates through their training process. In September 2017, I began Shamanic training and learned the "Quantum Sphere Healing Protocol I" with Shamanic Practitioner Carla Fox, and in April 2018, I completed "Advanced Quantum Sphere Healing Protocol II." In September 2018, I learned how to facilitate the Shamanic Death Rites Ritual, to journey to the everywhere and the "everywhen" in order to access the information I need to treat clients, to clear trauma in this life and in past lives, to create and hold sacred space for ceremonies (I've actually been holding sacred space for my clients since 2008 turns out!), to alter ancestral trauma anywhere in the timeline, to clear the chakras, and to clear the auric field, to name a few. In April 2022, I attended Level 1 training for Internal Family Systems therapy and am a Level 1 Practitioner. In May 2023, I began working on my PhD in Clinical Sexology and CST (Certified Sex Therapist) certification. I officially completed one year of the required coursework, and then after months of praying and consultation, I decided that this was no longer my path. In September 2024, I officially formed Merkaba, which I imagined 16 years ago. Today, all of my dreams are coming true and I am so grateful that I get to serve the kingdom in such a wonderful way!! |
Christopher Shaw is an addiction & trauma survivor, mid-life crisis survivor, Sacred Space Holder for 17 years, Licensed Psychotherapist for 17 years, Addiction and Trauma Specialist for 17 years, Plant Medicine-Assisted Therapy Specialist, Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Shamanic Quantum Sphere Healing Practitioner, Certified Personal Trainer & Motivational Speaker & Educator, and Light Language Singer/Speaker. Christopher plays the harmonium, piano, sound bowls, and has been singing his entire life. Christopher currently lives between Austin, TX, and Bucerias, Mexico.
"Christopher is an awesome counselor. He deeply cares about his clients and is committed to their success. I would recommend Chris in a heart-beat."
- Laura Jones-Swann, MEd LCDC - Adjunct Faculty - University of Texas School of Social Work 
"As a therapist myself, I trust Christopher's clinical judgment and would not hesitate to send him referrals."
"Chris is fun, organized, firm (when needed), and a wonderful role model that you can tell enjoys his job." "Chris was awesome and really helped." "Christopher is one of the top therapists I recommend for anyone seeking support in recovery." "Chris, I want to thank you for getting me on the path to recovery. I know I would not be where I am today without your help. The road is long and I'm glad it started with you guiding me." 
"Chris helped me find myself...the enthusiasm he brings encourages me to be active and continue to stay clean and sober."
"I wouldn't have made it this far if not for Chris." "My individual sessions with Chris were amazing; they really helped me start to find myself." "Christopher is a generous, compassionate, and insightful man. I am so thrilled that he is using his gifts and remarkable spirit to help others, he is a truly wonderful person!" 
"Christopher is a bright spirit. The minute I met him his positive upbeat attitude was contagious. I think he is a talented counselor and I will refer to Christopher Shaw."
"Chris Shaw saved my life." "Christopher is an awesome counselor. He deeply cares about his clients and is committed to their success. I would recommend Chris in a heart-beat." 
"Chris was a great counselor. I felt safe and secure when talking with him."
"Chris Shaw inspired me and gave me experience, strength, and hope." "Chris made me feel incredibly comfortable and I felt I could come to him with anything." 
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