Dr. Deborah Zheng Shear PhD | Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Shear is offering both in-person and virtual appointments.

Dr. Shear works with children, teens, adults (college students, 20s/30s) on issues related to anxiety, depression and neurodivergence (ADHD, ASD). She has a subspecialty in health psychology, where she has expertise in mental health concerns commonly seen in those living with food allergy, cancer/oncology, genetic disorders, pulmonary/cystic fibrosis, and asthma, as well as conditions with a mind-body connection, such as chronic pain & fatigue, long COVID and sleep issues. She is also passionate about identity issues relevant to race/ethnicity and culture, particularly among Asian Americans, children of immigrants, and people of color.

Education:

  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Psychology, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC.

  • Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, APA-accredited.

  • Post-Baccalaureate, Stanford University School of Medicine and University of California San Francisco/Benioff Children’s Hospital,

  • B.A., Psychological and Brain Sciences & Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis

Licensure:

  • District of Columbia (License #: PSY200001893)

  • Maryland (License#: 07474)

  • Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT) under PSYPACT, which includes providing teletherapy to those in Virginia (#25295); click here to see the 40+ states included in PSYPACT.

Dr. Shear’s work related to health psychology among youth, families and adults has been featured by the following organizations:

  • American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS)

  • Global Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Congress

  • The Canadian Pain Society

  • International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)

  • Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health (ACIMH)

  • Society of Pediatric Psychology

  • American Psychological Association (APA)

Dr. Shear is also a member of the following professional organizations:

  • American Psychological Association

  • Society of Pediatric Psychology

  • Society for Health Psychology

  • Asian American Psychological Association