ABOUT SHANA

Shāna Boutté was diagnosed with 12 neurological and learning disabilities by age 24 and received an autism diagnosis at age 26 (and more medical diagnoses associated with autism since age 26).  Due to having disabilities, Shāna and her parents were told from the time she was in kindergarten special education classes through grade 12 resource classes she would never finish high school and was not college material. During her undergrad education, professors told her, "Get out of my class and go to trade school." Once Shāna graduated with her BA in Humanities and Human Sciences, she tried 14 consecutive years to attend graduate school for psychology, and wanted to focus on autism, a field she studied consistently years prior to her diagnosis. She was denied access to a master’s program every year because she is autistic. The dean of the program from the school where she received her bachelor’s degree told her, "Oh, it's great you want to focus on autism!". When Shana explained she has autism, the dean then told her, "We don't deal with people with autism in our program", rendering Shāna hopeless in achieving her dream of attaining a master’s degree in psychology.

In 2020, Shana completed her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University, graduating with a 3.9 grade point average and speaking at her cohort's graduation ceremony.  Shāna is an award winning transpersonal mental health professional with more than 20 years of experience. She received her Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado and her Bachelor of Arts, Humanities and Human Sciences at the University of Houston Clear Lake. She is a Cornell University Certified Americans with Disabilities Act Instructor, previously Certified Autism Specialist and completed her Dialectical Behavior Therapy Facilitator Training. She is a Licensed Life Coach, Master Life Coach, and a Licensed Weight Loss Coach through Elite Coach Seminary. She is Reiki Level 1 Through Master Level 2 Certified and is also Courting Reiki Certified through HealCreateThrive in Boulder, CO. She completed her Protecting Human Research Participants certification. Other accomplishments include Interactive Metronome Certified, and she is a Certified Media, Film, High Fashion Make Up Artist through Award Studios in Los Angeles, CA. She received the University President’s Award for Community Service at Southwest Texas State University in San Marco, Texas. Shāna is a recipient of the National Presidential Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph Biden, Presidential Lifetime Achievement Humanitarian Medal of Honor from President Joseph Biden, National Presidential Humanitarian Gold Achievement Award from President Joseph Biden, and National Presidential Humanitarian Gold Medal of Honor feom President Joseph Biden. She also has the Americorps National Humanitarian Gold Award and is in the Marquis Who's Who Publication Board. She received two City of Houston Proclamations prior to age 30.  

CERTIFICATIONS AND AWARDS

MA, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mindfulness Based Transpersonal Counseling Psychology — Naropa University

BA, Humanities and Human Sciences — University of Houston Clear Lake, Houston, Texas

National Presidential Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award -- President Joseph Biden 

National Presidential Humanitarian Lifetime Medal of Honor -- President Joseph Biden 

National Presidential Humanitarian Gold Award -- President Joseph Biden 

National Presidential Humanitarian Gold Medal of Honor -- President Joseph Biden 

Marquis Who's Who Publications Board

Americorps National Humanitarian Gold Award 

University President’s Award for Community Service -- Southwest Texas State University

City of Houston Proclamation -- May 20, 2000

City of Houston Proclamation -- August 3, 2001 

Cornell University Certified Americans with Disabilities Act Instructor 

Certified Autism Specialist (former) — Autism Society of America

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Facilitator Training — Noeticus Couseling and Training Center, Denver, CO

Licensed Life Coach — Elite Coach Seminary

Master Life Coach — Elite Coach Seminary

Licensed Weight Loss Coach — Elite Coach Seminary

Reiki Level 1 Through Master Level 2 Certified — HealCreateThrive, Boulder, CO

Courting Reiki Certified — HealCreateThrive, Boulder, CO

Trauma-Informed Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga (TIAVY) trained -- Jen Peters, Denver, CO

Protecting Human Research Participants — National Institute of Health Office of Extramural Research

Interactive Metronome Certified Certified

Media, Film, High Fashion Make Up Artist – Award Studios, Los Angeles, CA

American Counseling Association member

Autism Society of America member

Colorado Goat Walkabouts boardmember

Tesoro Cultural Center member

Colorado Goth Society Administrator/Lead Mental Health Professional