Shannon Exley, MS

I am a Masters level clinician at Old Town Psychology and a doctoral candidate in the Medical and Clinical Psychology program at The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). I completed my Masters of Science degree in Medical and Clinical Psychology at USUHS in 2022. In 2020, I was commissioned into the United States Navy and am currently an active-duty officer.

I have provided cognitive-behavioral therapy and administered psychological testing to children, adolescents, and adults (military and civilian). I have experience providing individual and group therapy– in person and via telehealth– at military hospital settings, university settings, and outpatient behavioral health settings. I recently spent the past year working with trans and gender diverse youth and young adults with neurodivergence.

I am strongly committed to utilizing evidence-based approaches to therapy and also to creating a collaborative and affirming environment for all my clients. I am a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and am passionate about providing LGBTQIA+ affirming mental healthcare for my clients. I also prioritize advocacy for my clients to ensure that they can receive any supports that they may need. I am incredibly grateful to be able to support my clients throughout their therapy journey by helping them achieve their goals.

My research focuses on using restorative justice to inform and optimize transgender affirming and inclusive healthcare. My clinical work and research experiences have deepened my focus on systems, structures, and institutions that impact mental health and mental healthcare.

Schedule an Appointment

PUBLICATIONS

Exley, S. L., Pearlman, A. T., & Schvey, N. A. (in press). Culturally-responsive approaches for LGBT+ active duty service members and veterans. First-line psychological approaches with ADSM’s and veterans.

Pearlman, A. T., Exley, S. L., Highland, K. & Baisley, M. Structural Competency and Responsivity in Military Psychology: LGBTQIA+ Equity and Justice. (Fall 2022 Newsletter). The Military Psychologist.

Exley, S. L., & Oberman, L. M. (2022). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal ideation in military populations: a scholarly review. Military medicine, 187(1-2), e65-e69.

Oberman, L. M., Exley, S., Philip, N. S., Siddiqi, S. H., Adamson, M. M., & Brody, D. L. (2020). Use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive symptoms associated with concussion in military populations. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 35(6), 388-400.

Caporino, N. E., Exley, S., & Latzman, R. D. (2020). Youth anxiety about political news. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 1-16.

Deng, Z. D., Luber, B., Balderston, N. L., Velez Afanador, M., Noh, M. M., Thomas, J., Altekruse, W. C., Exley, S. L., Awasthi, S., & Lisanby, S. H. (2020). Device-based modulation of neurocircuits as a therapeutic for psychiatric disorders. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 60, 591-614.

PRESENTATIONS

Exley, S., Schvey, N. A., Ricker, E., Barrett, A. S., & de la Motte, S. J. Gender-based stigma and perceived stress among military women in a predominantly male training environment. (2022, November) Symposium presentation at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) 56th Annual Convention (Symposium chair and presenter).

Ricker, E., Barrett, A. S., Exley, S. L., Schvey, N. A., & de la Motte, S. J. Perceptions of Gender-Based Stigma among U.S. Military Officers in Training. Abstract submitted for the Women in Combat Summit 2023.

Exley, S. L., Schvey, N. A., Ricker, E., Barrett, A. S., & de la Motte, S. J. Gender-based stigma and perceived stress among military women in a predominantly male training environment. (2022, May) Poster session at the Uniformed Services University Research Days 2022.

Exley, S. L., Schvey, N. A., Ricker, E., Barrett, A. S., & de la Motte, S. J. Gender-based stigma at an officer training course: Prevalence and associations with mental health. Virtual poster session for the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS) conference 2022.

Exley, S. L., Gender-based stigma at an officer training course: Prevalence and associations with mental health. Abstract accepted for the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) 2021 (event canceled).

Wong, J., Exley, S. L., Faulkner, L., & Caporino, N., Development and preliminary validation of a measure of caregiver-child interactions around political news. (2020, November). Virtual poster session at the 54th Annual Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Convention.

Jones, E., Thomas, J., Awasthi, S., Exley, S. L., Abboud-Chalhoub, C., Deng, Z., Luber, B., & Lisanby, S. Quality improvement project: Reducing operator error in transcranial magnetic stimulation. (2020, November). Virtual poster session at the 34th Annual American Psychiatric Nurses Association Conference.

Awasthi, S., Abboud-Chalhoub, C., Exley, S. L., Luber, B., & Lisanby, S. H. Theoretical optimization of theta burst stimulation parameters based on a modified model of glutamatergic signaling. (July, 2020). Virtual poster session at the 42nd Annual International Conferences of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

Abboud-Chalhoub, C., Awasthi, S., Exley, S. L., Luber, B., Lisanby, S., & Deng, Z. Optimizing the effects of theta-burst stimulation (TBS). (2020, May). Virtual poster session at the 75th Anniversary Meeting of the Society of Biological Psychiatry.

Radman, T., Altekruse, W., Awasthi, S., Exley, S. L., Joseph, O., Abboud, C., Velez-Afandor, M.,
Thomas, J., Akhlaghi, K., Noh, M., Luber, B., Hallett, M., & Lisanby, S. H. Using EEG phase to trigger paired associative stimulation. (2019, September). Poster session at the 2019 NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors Review, Bethesda, M.D.

Exley, S. L., Jones, E., Abboud-Chalhoub, C., Joseph, O. J., Radman, T., Deng, Z., Luber, B., Strauman, T., & Lisanby, S. H. Concurrent fMRI-guided rTMS and cognitive therapy for the treatment of major depressive episodes. (2019, September). Poster session at the 21st Annual NIMH Intramural Research Program Fellows’ Scientific Training Day, Washington, D.C.

Abboud, C., Awasthi, S., Exley, S. L., Luber, B., Lisanby, S. H., & Deng, Z. Optimizing the effects of theta-burst stimulation (TBS). (2019, September). Poster session at the 21st Annual NIMH Intramural Research Program Fellows’ Scientific Training Day, Washington, D.C.

Exley, S. L. & Caporino, N. (2019, May). Youth anxiety about political news. Poster session at the 31st annual Association for Psychological Science Convention, Washington, D.C.

Dempsey, C. L., Benedek, D. M., Zuromski, K. L., Nock, M. K., Ng, T. H., Riggs, C., Broshek, C., Martinez, S., Exley, S. L., & Ursano, R. J. (2019, May). Risk and resilience of lifetime stressful experiences among US Army soldiers at risk for suicide. Poster session at the 31st annual Association for Psychological Science Convention, Washington, D.C.

Exley, S. L., Awasthi, S., Noh, M. M., Lisanby, S. H., Krystal, A. D., & Deng, Z. (2019, May). The effect of ketamine on transcranial magnetic stimulation evoked potentials. Poster session at the National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Poster Day, Bethesda, M.D.

Awasthi, S., Exley, S. L., Noh, M. M., Lisanby, S. H., Krystal, A. K., & Deng, Z. (2019, May). The effect of ketamine on resting state EEG. Poster session at the National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Poster Day, Bethesda, M.D.

Noh, M. M., Awasthi, S., Exley, S. L., Lisanby, S. H., Krystal, A. K., & Deng, Z. (2019, May). The effect of ketamine on somatosensory evoked potentials in patients with treatment resistant depression. Poster session at the National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Poster Day, Bethesda, M.D.

Dempsey, C. L., Benedek, D. M., Zuromski, K. L., Nock, M. K., Riggs, C., Ng, T. H., Exley, S. L., Broshek, C. E., & Ursano, R. (2018, November). Firearm accessibility and suicide: Results from the army study to assess risk and resilience in service members (Army STARRS). Poster session at the 34th annual meeting of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Washington, D.C.

Dempsey, C. L., Benedek, D. M., Nock, M. K., Wang, L., Ng, T. H., Riggs, C., Aliaga, P., Caulfield, N., Exley, S. L., Dudek, M. E., & Ursano, R. (2018, September). The protective effect of social and support networks among US army soldiers at risk for suicide. Poster session at the First Centers Forum at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, M.D.

Exley, S. L., Hildenbrand, H. L., Smith, M. R., Rinehart, M., Duncan, F., Collins, J. P., Introne, W. J., & Smith, A.C.M.(2017,August).Social,motor,andADLabilitiesandcaregiverassistacrossthe lifespan of smith-magenis syndrome. Poster session at the National Institutes of Health Summer Poster Day, Bethesda, M.D.