Dr. Jenny Shields | Source | Founder, Licensed Psychologist & Bioethicist at Shields Psychology & Consulti...

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Dr. Jenny Shields

Founder, Licensed Psychologist & Bioethicist at Shields Psychology & Consulting, PLLC
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Dr. Jenny Shields is a licensed psychologist and nationally certified healthcare ethics consultant (HEC-C) who specializes in burnout, trauma, and the emotional lives of high-functioning professionals. Her clinical work focuses on physicians, therapists, attorneys, and caregivers navigating moral distress, chronic stress, and identity loss in high-pressure systems.

Jenny earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Oklahoma State University and completed advanced training in healthcare ethics and health policy. She has served in ethics leadership roles within hospital systems, academic medical centers, and interdisciplinary care settings — helping organizations address the human cost of system-driven burnout.

In 2020, she launched her private practice to offer values-based, emotionally precise care for individuals who are often praised for their strength but rarely given space to be human. Her work blends clinical health psychology, trauma-informed care, and real-world ethical decision making — helping people reconnect with their integrity in lives that no longer feel sustainable.

Jenny is licensed in Texas and Oklahoma and holds PSYPACT authorization to provide care across 42+ states. She also contributes to national conversations on mental health, moral injury, and emotional regulation through media commentary, ethics consultation, and community-based training.

She is based in The Woodlands, TX.

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  • Emotionally Immature Parenting: The Lingering Impact of Words
    Dr. Shields highlights how phrases from emotionally unavailable or self-focused parents can lead to confusion, shame, or silence in adulthood. She notes, "These types of phrases are things I hear in therapy all the time," emphasizing their lasting impact on high-achieving adults.
  • Cuspers: Navigating the In-Between of Generational Identity
    Dr. Shields explains that cuspers experience "liminality," feeling in-between generations. They navigate cultural transitions, often feeling like outsiders. Cuspers are adept at code-switching and bridge-building, yet may feel walked over. Identity isn't just about birth years; upbringing and environment also play roles. Dr. Shields emphasizes that human identity defies neat categorization.
  • Navigating CEO Health Concerns: Expert Insights for Boards
    Dr. Shields emphasizes balancing privacy with organizational well-being. She advises boards to act when health impacts leadership, addressing concerns early and collaboratively. Public communication should be compassionate, focusing on continuity and reassurance. Dr. Shields notes, "The good of the CEO and the company must be held together," ensuring ethical governance.
Recent Quotes
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  • “Most people don’t lose their integrity all at once. They lose it in small, polite concessions that feel strategic at the time. And then one day they look up and don’t recognize the story they’re part of.”

  • “We talk about ethics like it lives in policies, but the hardest ethical work is relational. It’s saying something out loud when silence would protect your career. It’s staying human when the system rewards performance over truth.”

  • “By the time they come to me, they’ve already internalized the belief that their exhaustion is a personal failure — not a logical response to an unethical ask. My job is to remind them that their fatigue is information, not weakness.”

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