Ashanti "Shan" Anderson, LAPC

Associate Professional Counselor
License #: APC002753 (Pennsylvania)
M.S., Community & Trauma Counseling
MFA, Creative Writing (Poetry)
CV available upon request

Hey :) I'm Shan.*I'm a poet and trauma therapist in Philly.

I'm here to help you uproot, till, sow, grow, and reap the harvest of any season you're in.

My work is informed by my lived experience as a Black Queer Disabled person. In addition, I have a specialized degree in trauma counseling, training in crisis response, and skill in group facilitation, public speaking, and literary consulting.Drawing upon almost a decade of professional experience in collegiate education and community health, I hope to promote well-being in many settings. As my practice develops, I seek deeper integration of wellness with nature, creative expression, spirituality, and in our relationships.

Do you need therapy?

What I offer:

Therapy with individuals. Clients are typically adults.
Appointments are about 50 minutes.
Sessions are online/telehealth for Pennsylvania residents.I am open to requests for group therapy and workshop facilitation.

What sessions are like...

Many ways of knowing
Therapy is often a conversation. I also enjoy exploring with clients what arises on walks together, in the natural world, or in books, spiritual practices, writing prompts, art and media. I'm interested in techniques which bring us to present awareness.Trauma-informed care
With ongoing study and training, I aim to deeply attune to clients' needs for stabilization and recovery. Consent, autonomy, and respect are pillars of my work. Joy, pleasure, and rest too are necessary. Use this space to remind yourself of your strength.The important part is showing up
And if showing up for yourself means to take a break, you'll be met with flexibility and supported by healthy boundaries. Our therapeutic alliance grows stronger with mutual transparency and collaboration.

Therapy can help you...

  • safely develop the relationship between mind and body

  • discover sources of awareness, wisdom, and care within yourself and the world

  • develop mindfulness, compassion, and sense of wholeness

  • pay witness to patterns developed through early attachments

  • validate (and address) your experiences of the broader social context of your situation—from historic legacies of resilience, to the harms of unjust institutions

  • navigate internal conflict, uncertainty, and barriers

  • examine the protective function of current coping

  • practice sustainable ways to respond to unmet needs

  • find and take practical steps forward

  • This space will be crafted uniquely for you

  • dedicate time to invest in yourself

Together, we’ll explore the many parts of your story and uplift your whole self.

Writing Portfolio

Ashanti "Shan" Anderson is a Black Queer Disabled writer, 2023 National Endowment for the Arts fellow, and psychotherapist. Shan is the author of Black Under, which won the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition at Black Lawrence Press. A two-time Pushcart Prize nominee, Shan's poems have appeared in POETRY, World Literature Today, and elsewhere. Shan's other publications include academic research, essays, stage plays, screenplays, and empathy games. Shan currently lives in Philly.

BLACK UNDER

Winner of the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition

Cover Art by Mariah Quintanilla

Black Under layers outward perception with internal truth to offer an almost-telescopic examination of the redundancies—and incongruences—of marginalization and hypervisibility... In these pages, declarations are reclamations, and joy is not an aspiration but a birthright.

Praise for Black Under:

"Black Under defies strict categorization, save for the fact that it is altogether excellent."
—Marcus Wicker, author of Silencer and Maybe the Saddest Thing"Witness Anderson's haunting and marvelous skill."
—Kay Ulanday Barrett, cultural strategist and author of More Than Organs a 2021 Stonewall Honor Award Book"I’ve read these poems again and again, and every time I leave like—it’s we time."
—Sara Borjas, author of Heart Like a Window, Mouth Like a Cliff

Poems (Selected)

My Ancestors Who Learned to Read by Staring at the Bible, in Limp Wristsister, pick which battle to win when you choose to lose the war, in The RumpusDeep Nostalgia, in Container MagazineSlave Ship Haibun; Acrostic for my Last Breaths, in Jet Fuel ReviewSelf-Portrait in Blackface; Self-Portrait as Overseer; Resignation, in Tupelo QuarterlySelf-Portrait as Kendrick Lamar, Laughing to the Bank, in PoetryIf, in World Literature TodayOde to Black Skin, in Poetry (audio available)Cleaning Up Men's Messes; Mamie Till on Carolyn Bryant's Confession, in Foothill JournalGoddam, in Really SystemTeach Me to Float, in Panoply

Prose (Essay)

Deep Nostalgia, in Container Magazine

Film

Study Room (2018)
Short Film | Credit: Writer
Winner of the 2018 Haley's Flight Page-to-Screen Short Film CompetitionA young woman races against the clock to finish her term paper on time while being harassed by annoying classmates.

Stageplay

Bleak Magic (2021)
One Act Play | Credit: WriterWhen a conjure woman perfects a potion for "Black Power", she uncovers the nefarious desires of her clients.

Games

Visit itch.io (external site)

Contact

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 12, 2026This Privacy Policy explains how information is handled when you visit this website.Information Collected Through This WebsiteI do not intentionally collect personal information through this website. The website does not currently provide contact forms, user accounts, login functionality, newsletter subscriptions, or other features through which you submit personal information to me.Because this website is hosted through Carrd, certain technical information about visits to the site may be automatically processed in connection with the operation, security, and functionality of the website. This may include information such as your IP address, browser and device information, and information about how you interact with the site. By accessing this site, you are agreeing to Carrd's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Links to Other WebsitesThis website contains links to external websites and online services, including social media, publications, and other accounts or platforms. These websites are operated independently and have their own privacy policies and practices. I do not control or assume responsibility for information collected by third-party websites after you leave this site. For information regarding how your data is handled by these third-parties, please review the Privacy Policy of each respective website you visit.Bookshop.org Affiliate LinksSome links on this website are affiliate links to Bookshop.org. If you purchase a book through one of these links, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Bookshop.org uses cookies associated with affiliate links to attribute purchases to affiliates.Scope of This PolicyThis Privacy Policy applies only to this website. Information collected or maintained in connection with therapy or other professional services is governed by the laws and regulations, privacy notices, informed-consent documents, and other policies provided in connection with those services.Changes to This PolicyI may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.ContactIf you have questions about this Privacy Policy, you may contact:Shan Anderson
talktoshan [at] protonmail [dot] com