Dr. Whitney Standal Schollars, “Dr. Whit,” (she/her) received her doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) from George Fox University in Oregon. Whitney completed her APA-accredited doctoral internship in Utah. She has worked within interdisciplinary medical settings, university counseling centers and now private group practice providing individual, group, and couples therapy, as well as consultation, psychological assessment, and crisis intervention across the lifespan (clients ranging 3 – 99).
Whitney’s therapeutic approach is relational. Within the field of psychology there is continual research affirming the therapeutic relationship as the key component to effective and long-term change for clients. With this in mind, Whitney is passionate about her clients feeling seen, heard, and deeply cared for. She places high priority on the relationship being a safe place to explore the client’s complex experience with nuance, curiosity, and without judgement. She believes that we are deeply integrated beings; therefore, she likes to take a holistic approach to care that encourages clients’ whole selves, is values-based, and draws upon compassionate, trauma-informed and culturally-informed approaches to client wellness. Whitney is anti-racist, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and continually seeking to grow in her awareness of and advocacy for intersecting marginalized identity markers.
She draws upon therapeutic approaches that integrate trauma-informed care, attention to intersecting cultural and racial identities, and are rooted in multiple evidenced-based therapeutic orientations. This includes: humanistic-existential, ACT, compassion-focused, EMDR, somatic, interpersonal, internal family systems, CBT, and DBT therapies.
Whitney has experience and expertise supporting clients with varying therapeutic concerns: trauma, complex trauma, faith transitions and religious trauma, family-of-origin concerns, interpersonal and romantic relationships, sex therapy, identity development and self-esteem, anxiety and mood disorders, emotional regulation, compassion fatigue/burnout, neurodevelopment concerns (I.e. ADHD, Autism, etc.), LGBTQIA+ wellness, BIPOC wellness, substance use, grief and loss, obsessive-compulsive concerns, developmental concerns/behavioral concerns in adolescents, disordered eating concerns and body image, adjustments and transitions later in life (i.e. empty-nesters, retirement, etc.), as well as co-occurring mental health and chronic medical concerns.
Whitney is a passionate creative in her free time: engaging in weaving, block printing, embroidery, knitting, and anything else artistic and playful. She is a lover of good food and stories. She can often be found around SLC trying out a restaurant with her partner or friends or getting into the mountains for a hike.
Whitney's Book Recommendations:
Boundaries & Relationships:
“Set Boundaries, Find Peace” by Nedra Glover Tawwab
“The Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents” by Dr. Elizabeth Gibson
Sexual Wellness:
“Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that will Transform your Sex life” by Dr. Emily Nagoski
Anxiety & Mood:
“Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong” by Dr. Kelly Wilson
“Brain Lock: Free Yourself From Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior” by Dr. Jeffrey Swartz
Trauma Recovery & Body Image:
“The Wisdom of Your Body” by Dr. Hillary McBride
“The Body Awareness Workbook for Trauma” by Dr. Julie Brown Yau
Trauma-informed BIPOC Experience:
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
LGBTQIA+:
“Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex” by Angela Chen
“Refusing Compulsory Sexuality” By Sherronda J. Brown
Racism: