John Shanks, LPCC
Young Adult and Adolescent Therapist
What I’m passionate about…
- Helping young people see their strengths
- Using humor, connection, and hope to facilitate change
Hello! I’m John, a therapist at UpliftMe, specializing in working with adolescents and young adults. I enjoy traveling and have visited several countries in Europe and Asia, as well as Australia, where I hitchhiked and camped for nearly three months. I’m an avid fan of the Denver Nuggets, the Indiana Hoosiers and the CU Buffs. I’m a distance runner, a photographer, an artist (oil painting), and the best buddy to Hudson, a two-year old mostly hound dog. I also have been blessed with a wonderful wife and two (now college-aged) young adults.
Before joining UpliftMe I was a middle school teacher where I taught mostly social studies for 27 years. I enjoyed learning so much that I became certified in ESL and Spanish teaching. I also coached basketball and track, and I supervised several student organizations. For two years I also trained English teachers in the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer (where I learned to live on $50 a week). Also, I taught high school freshman English at the Nanjing Foreign Language School in Nanjing, China. I also worked for several years on the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit at Denver’s Children’s Hospital.
My first college degree was a B.A. in Political Science from Hanover College in Indiana, and I later received an M.A. in counseling psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. I also received my Secondary Social Studies teaching certification from Regis University. Presently, I am working on a Ph.D. in General Psychology from Liberty University
B.A. Hanover College
M.A. University of Northern Colorado
Secondary Teaching Certificate Regis University