Dr. David Shanley
Anxiety Therapist
My name is David Shanley, and I am a psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders for adults and adolescents in Denver. I have my Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) from the University of Denver, and I am a licensed psychologist in the state of Colorado.
As an anxiety therapist, I use only research-based cognitive-behavioral interventions to help you approach, rather than avoid your anxiety. This has been proven to be the most effective way to treat anxiety disorders.
I recently authored a workbook helping individuals overcome social anxiety. It is a reader-friendly activity book with lots of exercises and advice for a variety of social situations. It can be found here on Amazon.
To learn more about my treatment philosophy, you can listen to this podcast where I was a guest speaker talking about anxiety and social anxiety in particular.
Dr. Shanley is the author of three books on Anxiety Disorders. More information on these books can be found here.
What I do
First and foremost, I help clients overcome their anxiety.
This requires hard work on both the part of the client and the therapist. The good news is that anxiety is a very treatable condition, and I am confident I can help you overcome your anxiety and start living a more flexible and enjoyable life, not dominated by anxiety.
I find practicing therapy to be a meaningful, challenging, and inspiring profession. I work hard with you to assess your specific needs and goals, and help you make the changes to allow you to live a more flexible life not dominated by anxiety. In my own life, I have noticed that both ruminating on problems as well as trying to avoid them has only caused them to get worse over time, and kept me from living my life to the fullest.
Thus, every day I work on the concepts of acceptance, willingness and committed action that I discuss with my clients, and put these things into practice in my own life. I whole-heartedly believe in this model of treatment for anxiety and other mental health issues because I see it work time after time.
My Experience
Prior to opening this practice, I spent five years serving Denver in a variety of clinical settings including the University of Denver, Health and Counseling Center, the University of Colorado, Boulder Counseling and Psychological Services, and community mental health centers. These experiences have provided me with the opportunity to work with individuals from age 12 to 70, with presenting issues including Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, grief and loss, and general phase of life and relationship difficulties. I have gained tremendous knowledge from leading anxiety therapists and experts in the field from around the country, and I am very fortunate to have worked with great mentors throughout my training.