Shanara Ellis
she/her/hers | shanara.ellis@alliant.edu
Clinical Psychology | Assistant Professor, Clinical Practice Director
Biography
Dr. Shanara Ellis, Psy.D. is an Assistant Professor and the Clinic Director for Alliant Sacramento Psychological Services (ASPS). She earned her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Adler University where her research focused on postpartum depression in Black women.
Dr. Ellis brings extensive experience from academic medical centers and hospital-based settings, where she has specialized in perinatal mental health, reproductive trauma, and the psychological impacts of systemic inequities on health. She completed advanced postdoctoral training in Clinical Health Psychology at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, where she worked across Maternal-Fetal Medicine, NICU, antepartum, and postpartum units, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to improve access, continuity, and quality of behavioral health care for medically and socially complex patients. Her clinical and scholarly interests center on the intersection of mental health, health equity, and social determinants of health. Dr. Ellis has led multiple initiatives focused on improving screening, referral pathways, and culturally responsive interventions for marginalized and under-resourced patients navigating pregnancy, medical trauma, and family transitions. Her work is informed by CBT, ACT, liberation psychology, trauma-informed care, and systems-level approaches to reducing disparities in mental health care.
As an educator, Dr. Ellis is deeply committed to training psychologists who are clinically skilled, culturally responsive, and equipped to work in complex, real-world systems. She is especially passionate about helping students develop confidence in working with diverse populations, interdisciplinary teams, and ethically complex clinical situations.
Outside of her professional work, Dr. Ellis is an avid reader and creative thinker who values community, storytelling, and personal growth. She enjoys building spaces that allow people to feel seen, supported, and empowered to heal.”
Education and Certifications
- Psy.D. Clinical Psychology, Adler University
- M.A. Clinical Psychology, Adler University
- M.A. I/O Psychology, Adler University
- B.S. Psychology, Georgia Southern University