About Gail
Gail Shurtleff, MA LMFT
My journey to the work I do began when I was an undergraduate student. While obtaining my Bachelors in Psychology, I was privileged to volunteer with the Department of Mental Health for the State of California. I managed schizophrenic and geriatric patients, and it taught me a great deal and enabled me to learn about mental health services.
I intended to spend my career working with disabled people and their families. So I accepted employment working with the developmentally disabled population, which opened my eyes to new areas of focus.
While in graduate school, and doing my practicum, I was able to gain experience with those who dealt with dissociative disorders. My love for those with disabilities, and their families, continued; thus, I thought this would be my main area of specialization. This was altered when my family moved to Europe.
It was at this point in time that I developed a consulting practice that focuses on the needs of families with disabled children. Along with this, the possibility of working with the visually impaired as a therapist was opened up to me.
I once read that most people will have a change of career and focus during their working lives, the average being three times. While I’ve done the same type of work throughout my career, I now move on to another area I am equally passionate about: grief, loss, and the transitions that surround them.
Education and Work:
Bachelors: 1985 Psychology, Sonoma State University
Masters: 1994 Clinical Psychology, John F. Kennedy University
I Work With:
Adults
Children: Parents who want to get support for their children
Support Groups
Areas of Specialty:
Grief
Loss
Life Transitions
Faith Transitions
Dissociative disorders
Disability
