Meet Dr. Patricia Shutt | Licensed Psychologist and Mindfulness Teacher and Retreat Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Patricia Shutt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Patricia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Starting the Therapeutic Oasis was an intentional act of creating a place where clients would feel safe, seen, nurtured, and offered an opportunity to help and a grow into their full potential. Having worked in practices and systems that were constrained by insurance reimbursement and medical model treatment it was important to my team to develop a living system that would grow and change with the individual needs of the clients.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Therapeutic Oasis and The Sacred Treehouse are callings not jobs. It is a place where clinicians and staff come to offer their gifts, talents, and hearts to others who are struggling with mental health and life challenges. Challenges arise in all organizations and systems and we have grown into a flexible system that fosters and welcomes change. We started very organically and learned that anytime we made a change that was forced or pushed in any way we would get feedback pretty quickly that pushed back. We learned to let go, again and again, to let things unfold and flow at a natural pace. Sometimes that pace was fast and furious and swept us off our feet and other times it was slow and steady. Post-covid we stand as a strong resilient therapeutic system that continues to grow our connections with other providers so our clients can receive holistic wellness from the inside out!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First stop is the beach for a long walk, a dip in the ocean, and picnic breakfast from Fit Foods Express Delray. I love their protein pancakes and glowing green smoothie to start my day. We would enjoy boutique shopping along Atlantic Ave and lunch at my favorite spot in Pineapple grove, Brûlée. The week would be filled with active mornings doing barre class at the Vault, lifting weights at JustLift, and yoga at Dandlelight Studio. I shop the green market every Saturday in Old School Square where we would purchase local produce and foods because I like to make fresh meals and eat healthy at home with friends and family. The market is more than a place to shop, I bring friends, family and sometimes clients there to get fresh air, listen to live music and connect with community. While I am working I would recommend activities like attending the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, visiting all the nature parks, enjoying Watersport like paddle boarding or “skurfing”, family favorite where you surf behind the boat. On the weekend we would hit our new favorite hot spot, Barcelona, and since my husband LOVES ice cream – we would have to stop at Van Leeuwen’s for ice cream.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family is first and foremost because of the opportunities, encouragement, and support they gave me for years! My mindfulness teachers and mentors, Tara Brach, Trish Magyari, Jack Kornfield, for supporting my continued growth and evolution as a human who could walk beside others who are suffering and hold loving space for them to heal and grow. My undergrad degree from the University of Florida was top notch with teachers and mentors who fostered curiosity and excellence in class and beyond. My doctoral training at Nova Southeastern University supportive both intellectual, emotional, psychological growth along with excellent training and education. Having the opportunity to see clients throughout the lifespan, form diverse backgrounds, and in all social-economic levels allowed me to grow my cultural sensitivity, and attunement.

Website: https://therapeuticoasis.com andhttps://sacredtreehouse.org/

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Image Credits
Images owned by Therapeutic Oasis