Shannon L. Lee CCHT/CC
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Shannon L. Lee
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From a very young age, Shannon Lee was aware of two fundamental truths: she thrived when she was helping others, and she possessed a decidedly unique perspective. No matter how other folks labeled her – charming, weird, eccentric, zany, incorrigible, creative – people just seemed to naturally gravitate towards her when they needed information, encouragement, or advice. Shannon’s interactions usually resulted in people feeling happier and seeing themselves and their situation in a new, more positive light.
When she was in college, Shannon was given the nickname "the Cosmic Troubleshooter” due to her ability to dive directly into the heart of challenges and find creative ways to support people in quickly moving forward. She was also the Google of her time, with other students often knocking on her door with questions they needed answered in order to finish their late-night papers and projects. Today, Shannon uses her superpowers to help busy people who wish to create harmony in their inner world, while achieving greater success, happiness, and balance in their personal and professional lives. Shannon has invested in learning a wide variety of modalities that distinguish her as a personal growth and development expert. She is a Certified Trainer and Tension Management Expert (licensed in the ChangeWorks®, Pride-Based Leadership®, and MasterStream® methodologies). She is also an Alchemical Hypnotherapist, Empowerment Retreat Facilitator, and Certified Coach. Shannon is the Founder and Director of the Self-Awareness Institute and Facilitator of the Self-Awareness Weekend, the creator of Inner Harmonies, and the author of “Becoming 100% YOU: Release Your Baggage and Embrace Your Flight!” |
Shannon's Philosophy
Shannon is passionate about supporting people in increasing their resiliency and joy –she’s helped countless individuals who felt forced to hide their genius because they were abused, mistreated, or disrespected in the past. Their skills and ideas were dismissed or ridiculed, and they had become disenchanted, disheartened, and disempowered. Shannon champions these individuals and supports them in reclaiming their brilliance and returning to their true selves. She recognizes that the world will be a better place when more people reach their full potential, enabling them to form deeper personal connections, create greater career success, and increase their inner and outer harmony.
Shannon firmly believes that life should be fully embraced and wholeheartedly celebrated, rather than merely endured. There are endless possibilities to explore, amazing experiences to be had, and transformative connections to be made! Shannon feels strongly that this philosophy also extends to our workplaces, which should ideally provide ample opportunity for us to expand and express our expertise, to stimulate our curiosity, to engage our sense of pride, to build community, and to be rewarded for our contributions. In her work with organizations, she assists leaders in developing and effectively communicating their vision, as well as gaining a better understanding of what motivates their team. These insights enable leaders to increase employee engagement and productivity, resulting in greater organizational harmony and profitability.
Shannon’s approach is one-of-a-kind: she provides the tools and resources to aid people in uncovering their stuck spots and guides them through their growth spurts. This strategy is based on her foundational principle that the best way to ensure success in your outer world is to create harmony in your inner world. She helps her clients to envision expanding possibilities – moving beyond their preconceived limitations and assumptions – so they can take constructive, proactive action toward their goals and create new opportunities for success and well-being. Her lifelong goal is to help build an empowered global community by increasing individual self-awareness and fostering healthier interactions in our homes and workplaces.
Shannon firmly believes that life should be fully embraced and wholeheartedly celebrated, rather than merely endured. There are endless possibilities to explore, amazing experiences to be had, and transformative connections to be made! Shannon feels strongly that this philosophy also extends to our workplaces, which should ideally provide ample opportunity for us to expand and express our expertise, to stimulate our curiosity, to engage our sense of pride, to build community, and to be rewarded for our contributions. In her work with organizations, she assists leaders in developing and effectively communicating their vision, as well as gaining a better understanding of what motivates their team. These insights enable leaders to increase employee engagement and productivity, resulting in greater organizational harmony and profitability.
Shannon’s approach is one-of-a-kind: she provides the tools and resources to aid people in uncovering their stuck spots and guides them through their growth spurts. This strategy is based on her foundational principle that the best way to ensure success in your outer world is to create harmony in your inner world. She helps her clients to envision expanding possibilities – moving beyond their preconceived limitations and assumptions – so they can take constructive, proactive action toward their goals and create new opportunities for success and well-being. Her lifelong goal is to help build an empowered global community by increasing individual self-awareness and fostering healthier interactions in our homes and workplaces.
Shannon's Journey
When you interact with Shannon today, you will likely experience her as a wise, witty, and compassionate whirlwind – constantly creating new programs and resources in the human development arena. Life for her wasn’t always this good, however, and her personal journey has inspired and informed much of her professional accomplishments.
Lost in Pain and Darkness
In the Spring of 1997, Shannon found herself in a dark place. She had returned to the States the previous Summer, after an amazing-yet-grueling four years of teaching English in Japan, and the 60- to 70-hour work weeks had taken quite a toll. The transition to life back home required a major adjustment – her social network, cultural surroundings, and professional status were drastically different.
In addition to these significant lifestyle changes, Shannon’s paternal grandfather was terminally ill with cancer and wished to remain at home until he passed. Shannon wanted to spend time with him, as well as support him and her parents with his end-of-life care. This was how she ended up living with her parents as a 30-year-old adult and sleeping in the captain’s bed of her brother’s childhood… deeply depressed, stuck, and completely out of touch with her true identity and life purpose. She was physically and mentally exhausted, and felt vulnerable, lost, and overwhelmed.
In addition to the situational stressors and challenges of her life at that time, Shannon later came to realize that she had been chronically suffering from what she calls “Brain-on-a-Stick-Itis” – she lived life completely in her head, disconnected from her body, her emotions, her intuition, and her authentic Self. This was surviving, rather than fully living, and it was not only unpleasant, demoralizing, and disempowering, it had also become a deeply-ingrained self-defense mechanism that kept her heart and mind free from really feeling anything. Of course, this sucky strategy also prevented her from forming close connections to other people. To make matters worse, the discord and dissonance of these severely suppressed emotions had shattered her self-worth, ultimately creating even more trauma, drama, and chaos in her life. By the Summer of 1997, she had reached a terrifying point where she really didn’t see any meaning in life – she woke up one morning and realized that if she didn't do something to change, she wasn't going to be alive much longer.
In the Spring of 1997, Shannon found herself in a dark place. She had returned to the States the previous Summer, after an amazing-yet-grueling four years of teaching English in Japan, and the 60- to 70-hour work weeks had taken quite a toll. The transition to life back home required a major adjustment – her social network, cultural surroundings, and professional status were drastically different.
In addition to these significant lifestyle changes, Shannon’s paternal grandfather was terminally ill with cancer and wished to remain at home until he passed. Shannon wanted to spend time with him, as well as support him and her parents with his end-of-life care. This was how she ended up living with her parents as a 30-year-old adult and sleeping in the captain’s bed of her brother’s childhood… deeply depressed, stuck, and completely out of touch with her true identity and life purpose. She was physically and mentally exhausted, and felt vulnerable, lost, and overwhelmed.
In addition to the situational stressors and challenges of her life at that time, Shannon later came to realize that she had been chronically suffering from what she calls “Brain-on-a-Stick-Itis” – she lived life completely in her head, disconnected from her body, her emotions, her intuition, and her authentic Self. This was surviving, rather than fully living, and it was not only unpleasant, demoralizing, and disempowering, it had also become a deeply-ingrained self-defense mechanism that kept her heart and mind free from really feeling anything. Of course, this sucky strategy also prevented her from forming close connections to other people. To make matters worse, the discord and dissonance of these severely suppressed emotions had shattered her self-worth, ultimately creating even more trauma, drama, and chaos in her life. By the Summer of 1997, she had reached a terrifying point where she really didn’t see any meaning in life – she woke up one morning and realized that if she didn't do something to change, she wasn't going to be alive much longer.
Light and the End of the Tunnel
Finding herself stuck in that place of pain and darkness, Shannon did something completely unthinkable in her family of origin at that time – she picked up the Yellow Pages and looked for a therapist. That random search led her to Andrea Lambert, who recommended a personal growth intensive she had created, the Self-Awareness Weekend, and a few months later, an Empowerment Intensive that used Hypnotherapy as its main tool. Those two transformative experiences helped Shannon to rehabilitate her feelings, trade in her old limiting beliefs for new decisions about her life and herself, and reconnect with her dreams. Shannon became so excited about the changes she felt in herself and saw in others at those programs that she was inspired to become a Hypnotherapist. She’s been exploring and expanding herself ever since, learning all about self-improvement, human development, and how the mind and emotions interact. Shannon has devoted her life’s work to sharing her unique blend of vision, compassion, intuition, and expertise to support others on their own personal journeys into empowerment.
Finding herself stuck in that place of pain and darkness, Shannon did something completely unthinkable in her family of origin at that time – she picked up the Yellow Pages and looked for a therapist. That random search led her to Andrea Lambert, who recommended a personal growth intensive she had created, the Self-Awareness Weekend, and a few months later, an Empowerment Intensive that used Hypnotherapy as its main tool. Those two transformative experiences helped Shannon to rehabilitate her feelings, trade in her old limiting beliefs for new decisions about her life and herself, and reconnect with her dreams. Shannon became so excited about the changes she felt in herself and saw in others at those programs that she was inspired to become a Hypnotherapist. She’s been exploring and expanding herself ever since, learning all about self-improvement, human development, and how the mind and emotions interact. Shannon has devoted her life’s work to sharing her unique blend of vision, compassion, intuition, and expertise to support others on their own personal journeys into empowerment.
In her own words:
“If I could choose any super power, I would have the ability to open minds, heal hearts, and inspire personal revolutions… Oh, wait – I already do that!”
“When people let go of their automatic assumptions, habits, and stuck spots, they become free to communicate from their hearts and make empowered choices. Imagine a world where people choose compassion over judgment, action over complaints, and healing over suffering!”
“You are 100% YOU when your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions are in complete alignment with your goals and dreams. When you examine this definition and compare it to how you’re living life, how well does it match your current reality? I’ve found that if any one of these components – thoughts, feelings, actions, goals, or dreams – is out of balance or neglected, we feel unsatisfied and ill at ease.”
“When you’re stuck on a mental merry-go-round, circling through the If Onlys of the past and the What Ifs of the future, you’re unable to reach out and grab the brass ring of today.”
“The most enjoyable and rewarding aspect of my work is seeing the “before” and “after” – watching the light bulb go off for people and supporting them to apply their new knowledge and transformation as they continue to create even greater happiness and success.”
Arenas of Expertise
Shannon’s core skills and experience cross multiple disciplines and industries – she is, indeed, that rare unicorn capable of impacting both individuals and corporations. She effortlessly blends the entrepreneurial savvy of a small business owner with the keen insight and rapport of a therapist; she’s equally fluent in Corporate, Geek, and Heart-Centered communication; and she’s comfortable dancing between the realms of Intellect, Emotion, and Spirit. Whether working with individuals or organizations, Shannon has a track record of analyzing and improving processes and productivity, as well as swiftly spotting stuck spots. She is widely acknowledged for her innate ability to quickly diagnose the root of problems and formulate the shortest path to solutions and results.
Shannon’s spheres of influence and impact can best be summed up by the following four themes: Self-Awareness, Transformation, Resilience, and Leadership.
Shannon’s spheres of influence and impact can best be summed up by the following four themes: Self-Awareness, Transformation, Resilience, and Leadership.
Self-Awareness
Since first attending the Self-Awareness Weekend in July of 1997, Shannon has dedicated her life to the pursuit of evolving and expanding her own personal growth, and has also continued her professional development to enable her to better support her clients. She has co-facilitated the Self-Awareness Weekend since 2008 and became an Empowerment Retreat facilitator in 2010. She is also a ChangeWorks!® trainer, which provides a powerful system that reveals how a person will respond to specific situations, predicts the behavior they will adopt, and suggests courses of action to increase their productivity and success.
Transformation
Shannon Lee is no stranger to change – by the time she was 8 years old, she had moved 8 times and lived in diverse areas including Nevada, the California Bay Area, Hawaii, Japan, and Northern Virginia. She has reinvented herself and rebooted her life multiple times (see “Resilience” below), and her personal journey has informed and inspired her work in leading others to transform their lives.
Resilience
Shannon has bounced back from multiple traumas and adversity, including deep personal losses and periods of recovery from a stroke and a major car accident. She plans to share the insights and strategies she gained from these experiences in her second book project, “Becoming Resilient.”
Leadership
In her early days of employment, Shannon experiences the full gamut of leadership examples, from the glaring to the glowing. She worked in Japan in the 90’s, where companies expected unquestioning loyalty and excessive dedication in high-pressure working conditions – and “death by overwork” was a documented conclusion at the coroner’s office. At the other end of the spectrum, she was privileged to work at a family-owned company whose much-beloved President not only invested significant funding for a picnic extravaganza for employees and their families, but was also good-natured about getting pegged in the face with a water balloon (I was aiming for the VP of Marketing)! These experiences, combined with observing her father’s discouragement during his career as a Complaints Investigator for the federal government, have inspired her to become one of a handful of trainers in Pride-Based Leadership® and dedicate part of her life’s work to improving corporate cultures.
Since first attending the Self-Awareness Weekend in July of 1997, Shannon has dedicated her life to the pursuit of evolving and expanding her own personal growth, and has also continued her professional development to enable her to better support her clients. She has co-facilitated the Self-Awareness Weekend since 2008 and became an Empowerment Retreat facilitator in 2010. She is also a ChangeWorks!® trainer, which provides a powerful system that reveals how a person will respond to specific situations, predicts the behavior they will adopt, and suggests courses of action to increase their productivity and success.
Transformation
Shannon Lee is no stranger to change – by the time she was 8 years old, she had moved 8 times and lived in diverse areas including Nevada, the California Bay Area, Hawaii, Japan, and Northern Virginia. She has reinvented herself and rebooted her life multiple times (see “Resilience” below), and her personal journey has informed and inspired her work in leading others to transform their lives.
Resilience
Shannon has bounced back from multiple traumas and adversity, including deep personal losses and periods of recovery from a stroke and a major car accident. She plans to share the insights and strategies she gained from these experiences in her second book project, “Becoming Resilient.”
Leadership
In her early days of employment, Shannon experiences the full gamut of leadership examples, from the glaring to the glowing. She worked in Japan in the 90’s, where companies expected unquestioning loyalty and excessive dedication in high-pressure working conditions – and “death by overwork” was a documented conclusion at the coroner’s office. At the other end of the spectrum, she was privileged to work at a family-owned company whose much-beloved President not only invested significant funding for a picnic extravaganza for employees and their families, but was also good-natured about getting pegged in the face with a water balloon (I was aiming for the VP of Marketing)! These experiences, combined with observing her father’s discouragement during his career as a Complaints Investigator for the federal government, have inspired her to become one of a handful of trainers in Pride-Based Leadership® and dedicate part of her life’s work to improving corporate cultures.
A Brief History of Little Letters and Large Labels
B.A. – History, Myth, and Literature; Whittier College; Whittier, CA; May, 1990.
CCHT – Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist; Alchemy Institute of Hypnosis; Santa Rosa, CA; March 1998.
Doctor of Divinity – Ordained Interfaith Minister; Esoteric Theological Seminary; Hagerstown, MD; June 2003.
CC - Certified Coach; Coach Training Alliance; Boulder, CO; October 2005.
Empowerment Facilitator; George & Brigitta D'Amato; Philo, CA; December 2010.
Heroic Public Speaking; Michael and Amy Port; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; February 2016.
Certified Trainer and Tension Management Expert; Institute for Productive Tension; Sun City West, AZ (ChangeWorks® Trainer, 2010; Pride-Based Leadership® Trainer, 2015; MasterStream® Trainer, 2016).
CCHT – Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist; Alchemy Institute of Hypnosis; Santa Rosa, CA; March 1998.
Doctor of Divinity – Ordained Interfaith Minister; Esoteric Theological Seminary; Hagerstown, MD; June 2003.
CC - Certified Coach; Coach Training Alliance; Boulder, CO; October 2005.
Empowerment Facilitator; George & Brigitta D'Amato; Philo, CA; December 2010.
Heroic Public Speaking; Michael and Amy Port; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; February 2016.
Certified Trainer and Tension Management Expert; Institute for Productive Tension; Sun City West, AZ (ChangeWorks® Trainer, 2010; Pride-Based Leadership® Trainer, 2015; MasterStream® Trainer, 2016).
Shannon’s “Hat” Collection
Shannon shares her knowledge and interacts with her clients in multiple roles, including:
- Author
- Speaker
- Media Guest
- Workshop Presenter
- Corporate Trainer
- Retreat Facilitator
- Consultant
- Personal/Executive Coach
Extra Credit (P.S. from Shannon)
If you’ve read this far, you deserve either a medal or a few fun facts about me!
- I lived in Japan for 7 years (3 as a child, 4 as an adult)
- My Senior thesis to earn my Bachelor’s degree was 90-page paper exploring “The Evolution and Modern Mythic Significance of the Arthurian Legend.”
- I’m a huge Firefly and Babylon 5 fan – I also picketed Fox Studios in L.A. when they cancelled Alien Nation in 1990 (and yes, the sign was in Tenctonese!). I like to think I’m a mix of Firefly’s Kaylee (she manages to fix any problem on the ship, and always sees the good in everyone) and Babylon 5’s Delenn (who sees deep into the heart of matters and will fiercely stand up to any threats to her community).
- I have two sons-of-my-heart - high school exchange students who lived with me: Philipp from Germany, now an attorney, and Barkin from Turkey, now an actor.
- My all-time favorite book is Les Miserables (do NOT speak to me of the watered-down musical!), and Victor Hugo's passionate and idealistic prelude reverberates in my mind and heart, inspiring me to continually broaden my area of impact.
Testimonials and Recommendations
A small sampling of reviews from delighted clients:
Coaching:
"I went into the sessions with Shannon seeking growth and change and Shannon provided a container that was free of judgement conducive to my long-range goal of inner peace. Her encouragement, enthusiasm and support helped to inform me on my spiritual journey and I am grateful for the work with her. Considering some sessions with Shannon? Take the leap and invest in yourself - you deserve it!" Scott Bland, Rancho Cordova, CA
"I recently finished a month of coaching with Shannon. I learned a lot about myself during that process. One of the biggest things I learned is that I’m very resistant to schedules. Very.
The wonderful thing about working with Shannon is that she helped me look at my conflict without shaming me or making me wrong. She simply asked great questions that helped me go inside and look at what was blocking my progress and how I could change the way I approach my goals.
Because of her enthusiasm, probing questions, insights and acceptance of me and my process, I made great progress in creating and achieving my goals. I highly recommend Shannon as a coach!" CJ Tanner, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
Hypnotherapy:
"Shannon is a skillful, compassionate and Spirit-centered hypnotherapist, who has guided me though several dark passages into liberation. Her clarity and tenacity to getting to the core of the issue during the interview paves the way for a very focused and productive session.
I have worked with her extensively on the phone and find that she is able to gracefully bridge the gap of miles making sessions both convenient and extremely relaxed, as I don't have to drive anywhere afterwards.
I whole-heartedly recommend Shannon to anyone who is looking for a strong advocate and supportive guide on the journey to freedom." DB
Empowerment Retreat:
"As far back as I can remember I have periodically wanted to kill myself. Not only during the painful early years of trying to find myself but also at the height of success and in the middle of my delight-filled marriage. Anytime I felt severely stressed or distressed, suicide loomed brightly lit as the most promising exit door!
At age 66 I neither lack introspection nor self-awareness. However, this reflexive urge to ‘off myself' had remained sadly unchanged and therefore a great puzzlement.
Metaphorically speaking, I went to Shannon Lee's Empowerment with a handful of tattered old puzzle pieces. "There!" I said, handing them over to her. "As you well know, all the internal work I have done has been highly effective and life-enhancing. And still I have these suicide pieces that don't fit. I trust you to sort it all out!" And sort it out she did - in less than three hours!
As Shannon compassionately and with great expertise assembled those remaining misfit pieces, a completed ‘Big Picture' appeared and my desire to leave this world made perfect sense at last.
I am thrilled to report the pivotal result of my Empowerment work with Shannon: that inexplicable urge to die has irretrievably evaporated into thin air...!
To end my Testimonial with the traditional sentence: "I can recommend Shannon Lee's work to anyone without hesitation" would be an unforgivable understatement. To be more intellectually appropriate and emotionally accurate: "I most enthusiastically urge you to experience the liberating therapy of Shannon Lee so you too can be free!"
Brigitta Franziska D'Amato
Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Alchemical Empowerment Facilitator
"I went into the sessions with Shannon seeking growth and change and Shannon provided a container that was free of judgement conducive to my long-range goal of inner peace. Her encouragement, enthusiasm and support helped to inform me on my spiritual journey and I am grateful for the work with her. Considering some sessions with Shannon? Take the leap and invest in yourself - you deserve it!" Scott Bland, Rancho Cordova, CA
"I recently finished a month of coaching with Shannon. I learned a lot about myself during that process. One of the biggest things I learned is that I’m very resistant to schedules. Very.
The wonderful thing about working with Shannon is that she helped me look at my conflict without shaming me or making me wrong. She simply asked great questions that helped me go inside and look at what was blocking my progress and how I could change the way I approach my goals.
Because of her enthusiasm, probing questions, insights and acceptance of me and my process, I made great progress in creating and achieving my goals. I highly recommend Shannon as a coach!" CJ Tanner, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist
Hypnotherapy:
"Shannon is a skillful, compassionate and Spirit-centered hypnotherapist, who has guided me though several dark passages into liberation. Her clarity and tenacity to getting to the core of the issue during the interview paves the way for a very focused and productive session.
I have worked with her extensively on the phone and find that she is able to gracefully bridge the gap of miles making sessions both convenient and extremely relaxed, as I don't have to drive anywhere afterwards.
I whole-heartedly recommend Shannon to anyone who is looking for a strong advocate and supportive guide on the journey to freedom." DB
Empowerment Retreat:
"As far back as I can remember I have periodically wanted to kill myself. Not only during the painful early years of trying to find myself but also at the height of success and in the middle of my delight-filled marriage. Anytime I felt severely stressed or distressed, suicide loomed brightly lit as the most promising exit door!
At age 66 I neither lack introspection nor self-awareness. However, this reflexive urge to ‘off myself' had remained sadly unchanged and therefore a great puzzlement.
Metaphorically speaking, I went to Shannon Lee's Empowerment with a handful of tattered old puzzle pieces. "There!" I said, handing them over to her. "As you well know, all the internal work I have done has been highly effective and life-enhancing. And still I have these suicide pieces that don't fit. I trust you to sort it all out!" And sort it out she did - in less than three hours!
As Shannon compassionately and with great expertise assembled those remaining misfit pieces, a completed ‘Big Picture' appeared and my desire to leave this world made perfect sense at last.
I am thrilled to report the pivotal result of my Empowerment work with Shannon: that inexplicable urge to die has irretrievably evaporated into thin air...!
To end my Testimonial with the traditional sentence: "I can recommend Shannon Lee's work to anyone without hesitation" would be an unforgivable understatement. To be more intellectually appropriate and emotionally accurate: "I most enthusiastically urge you to experience the liberating therapy of Shannon Lee so you too can be free!"
Brigitta Franziska D'Amato
Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Alchemical Empowerment Facilitator
Shannon's offerings on Bridges
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How to Successfully Navigate Change
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