READY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
MEET Shana, LMFT IN Pasadena, ca
HI, I’M SHANA.
I’m a therapist who understands what it’s like to hold it all together—and still feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or lost.
You may be here because anxiety won’t turn off, burnout hasn’t eased, or life has shifted in ways you didn’t expect. You’re not looking for quick fixes. You want real change.
You’re not broken. You’re stuck. And you don’t have to untangle it alone.
you’re in the right spot.
WHO I am
Before becoming a therapist, I spent over a decade in corporate America and earned an MBA from UCLA. By traditional measures, I was successful—but I found myself wanting something more: work that felt meaningful, work in service of something beyond the bottom line.
During that time, I was also drawn to practices like yoga, meditation, and sound —not as an escape, but as a way to reconnect with myself in a system that prized productivity over presence. Those practices taught me something important: high-functioning doesn’t mean fulfilled.
That understanding is why I now specialize in working with anxious overthinkers, perfectionists, people pleasers, and high achievers who look capable on the outside but are struggling on the inside. I understand the pressure to perform, the weight of expectations, and what it’s like when success doesn’t equal peace.
My work is informed by over a decade of clinical training, as well as my own lived experience—both in high-performance environments and in practices that support regulation and self-awareness. I won't just cite research. I'll meet you as someone who's navigated this path too.
HOW I WORK
AT THE CORE OF MY APPROACH IS A BELIEF THAT YOU ARE NOT BROKEN. And healing doesn't happen through thinking alone — it happens when we work with your whole self: your mind, your body, your nervous system, your story.
I integrate EMDR, mindfulness, depth psychology, somatic sound therapy, and traditional talk therapy to help you process what's been stuck — whether it lives in your thoughts, your beliefs, or your body. The tension you can't release, the hypervigilance that won't turn off, the emotions you've been holding for years. We work with all of it.
As a therapist, I'm warm but real. Therapy with me is collaborative — I'll ask questions, offer insights, challenge patterns when needed, and help you see what you can't see on your own. But I'll also meet you where you are, without judgment, and at a pace that feels right for your nervous system.
This isn't about managing symptoms (though we’ll do that too). It's about addressing root causes — the unprocessed trauma, the attachment wounds, the beliefs formed in survival mode that no longer serve you. It's about helping your nervous system finally understand that it's safe to let go.
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To pay attention,
this is our endless and proper work.
Mary Oliver
in therapy with me…
We’ll dig deep.
We won't just talk about what's happening on the surface. We'll explore what's underneath — the patterns, the beliefs, the unprocessed experiences that keep showing up in your life. This is depth work. We'll connect the dots between your past and your present, between what happened to you and how you're feeling now. And we'll work at a pace that feels right for you — going deeper when you're ready, slowing down when you need to.
You’re in charge.
This is your therapy, and you get to decide what we work on, how fast we go, and what feels safe to share. I'll never push you to talk about something you're not ready for, and you can always pause, slow down, or change direction. My job is to guide and support — not to control the process. You're the expert on your own life. I'm here to help you see what you can't see on your own.
I’ll BE IN YOUR CORNER.
I'll celebrate your wins — even the small ones. I'll remind you how far you've come when you can't see it. And I'll hold hope for you when you're struggling to hold it yourself. This work is hard, and you deserve someone who sees your effort, honors your courage, and genuinely cares about your healing.
My background
I’ve spent over a decade serving adults of all ages navigating anxiety, burnout, and life's most difficult transitions.
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I’m a holistic, integrative therapist, trained in a variety of methods, allowing me to tailor my approach to your unique goals and needs. These include:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) — for trauma processing
Somatic Sound Therapy — body-based healing through therapeutic sound and vibration
Mindfulness-Based Therapy — cultivating present-moment awareness
Depth Psychology — exploring unconscious patterns and beliefs
Attachment-Based Therapy — understanding relational patterns
Narrative Therapy — rewriting the stories you tell yourself
Trauma-Informed Care — creating safety for nervous system healing
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Education
BA Psychology, Skidmore College
MA Cognitive Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
MBA, University of California, Los Angeles
MA Clinical Psychology, Antioch University
LICENSURE
Shana Pallotta, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist California
License #111988
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EMDR Training Level 1 & 2, Institute for Creative Mindfulness
TRM (Trauma Resiliency Model) Training Level 1, Trauma Resource Institute
Beyond Loss Grief Training Program, Glendale Adventist
Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist Training with Tasha Oswald, PhD
Somatic Trauma Healing Certification with Abi Blakeslee
Somatic Informed Post Induction Therapy (PIT) Training
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) Externship with Silvina Irwin & Lisa Palmer-Olsen
CBT-I Training with Colleen E. Carney, Ph.D. & Meg Danforth, Ph.D.
Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Training, Insight LA
Foundations of Yoga for Mental Health with Ashley Turner
Yoga Teacher Training, Bhakti Yoga Shala
Healer (Pranayamic Breathwork) Training, Level 1-4 with David Elliott
Gong Master training with Don Conreaux
Singing Bowl Sound Healing Training Level 1 & 2 with Micah Sheiner
Sound Practitioner Training with Hamid Jabbar
let’s start working together toward a life you love.
Click the button below to schedule a free consultation. We'll spend 20 minutes together talking about what you're looking for, what brings you to therapy, and whether my approach feels like a good fit. If it does, we'll schedule your first session and get started.