Area Women in Business: Women in Business: Carita Shawchuck, PhD., Healthcare

Carita Shawchuck, PhD.

Born: Minot, ND. 1957

Education: Boise State University—B.A. Sociology, Minnesota State University Mankato— Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology, West Virginia University—Doctorate in Clinical Clinical Psychology, Michigan State University—Internship in Pediatric Psychology, Department of Pediatric and Human Development

Business: Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist, 17 years in practice

Community Volunteering: National program called DivorceCare, a support group for divorcing and separating adults. Includes DivorceCare 4 Kids, a support program for kids whose parents are divorcing or separating.

On leadership, “A good leader helps people to see strengths and possibilities in themselves that they have never seen before and believe that they can do things they’ve never done before.”

Persevering through many years of college course work and research, and now in clinical practice, Carita specializes in working with children with anxiety disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and school related problems.

What is involved in providing therapy for these children? Carita said that trends in the clinical psychology profession include an increasing reliance on therapies that are based on research and are in manual form for professionals to follow. These typically include proven strategies and standardized treatments. Carita said that because of this trend there is less reliance on the art of therapy and more on the science of therapy.

Carita also said that another growing change in the field of psychology is prescription privileges for psychologists. While only a few states have passed legislation allowing psychologists to prescribe medications, she expects that the shortage of psychiatrists, especially in rural areas, will result in a growing number of psychologists providing psycho therapy as well as medication.

When Carita first arrived in Fargo 11 years ago she worked for MeritCare Health System. She moved on to private practice with a West Fargo medical group and then opened her own practice about a year and a half ago in south Fargo. Carita fits in to the local trend that she is seeing of licensed psychologists owning their own practice. In October, Carita is moving her practice to a new and larger location and Wayne Samualson, PhD. will be joining her in the practice.

A successful therapist does not generally have a business background, and an obstacle Carita overcame to become successful was the belief that she would not be able to provide mental health services and run a successful business at the same time. She pointed out that she had no formal business training in all her years of college and has learned throughout the years from those she worked with and by surrounding herself with experts in business.

Carita’s professional inspiration along the way has come from two mentors that she met in graduate school who she said, “Believed in, encouraged me and required a lot from me.” She added,” They were people I wanted to emulate.” Years later, Carita still keeps in touch with these special friends.

A typical work day for Carita starts at 8 or 8:30 am checking messages and returning phone calls. The rest of her day is full seeing patients until 5 pm. During lunch time she returns more phone calls and typically ends her day at 5 or 6 pm returning yet, more calls, and writing reports and doing paper work.

What was Carita’s favorite job was outside of what she is doing today? Carita said she loved working at Children’s Hospital in St. Paul with kids who had cancer and their families. She felt she probably got more out of the experience than she gave.

To stay licensed as a psychologist Carita must complete annual continuing education hours. She also reads professional journals and newsletters (increasingly on-line) and attends workshops across the country.

Providing psychological therapy requires great patience and knowledge and the patients’ success and victories may happen slowly. But, changing someone’s life for the better is a great thing. Working with the intricacies of someone’s thoughts and behaviors involve many small steps coming together. Carita summed this up when mentioning her favorite saying, “We can do no great thing, only small things with great love.” ~ Sister Teresa.