ABOUT ME
Shanta Kanukollu, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Dr. K is a psychotherapist who specializes in trauma and in working with communities of color. She is dedicated to helping people of all backgrounds transition from surviving to thriving in their everyday lives.
Who I Am
I deeply value the relationship between therapist and client and believe that therapy is a collaborative I’m Dr. Shanta Kanukollu, a licensed clinical psychologist, speaker, educator, and consultant. My work sits at the intersection of psychology, culture, identity, and the experiences that shape how we move through the world.
I was born and raised in New Jersey and moved to the Midwest to pursue dual doctoral training in Clinical Psychology and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. Since then, my career has taken me into clinical, educational, community, and institutional settings, including the Cook County Sheriff’s Women’s Justice Program, the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, and universities including Northwestern, Adler, and The Chicago School.
As a first-generation Indian American woman and psychologist, I bring both professional expertise and a deep appreciation for the ways culture, identity, family, community, and systems influence our wellbeing.
What I Believe
I believe psychology is most powerful when it helps us better understand not only ourselves, but also the environments and relationships that shape our lives.
Our experiences do not happen in isolation. Culture, identity, family, relationships, workplaces, communities, and larger systems all influence how we experience stress, trauma, belonging, connection, and change.
I also believe psychological knowledge should be accessible and useful beyond the therapy room. Whether we are thinking about an individual trying to heal, a leader supporting a team, or an organization working to create a healthier culture, greater understanding can create meaningful change.
At the heart of my work is a simple goal: helping people move beyond surviving and toward lives, relationships, and communities in which they can truly thrive.
How I Work
I approach my work with curiosity, compassion, openness, and a commitment to meeting people where they are.
In therapy, that means creating a collaborative relationship where clients can feel supported while exploring difficult experiences, recognizing their strengths, and developing new ways of understanding themselves and their relationships.
As a speaker and educator, I bring that same approach to larger audiences. I translate psychological research and clinical insight into conversations that are engaging, practical, culturally responsive, and relevant to the challenges people are navigating in their everyday lives and workplaces.
Across all of my work, I want people to leave with more than information. I want them to feel understood, to see something from a new perspective, and to have something meaningful they can carry forward.
