Paul Shawler, PhD, is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and founder of Shawler Psychology, PLLC, a behavioral health treatment and consulting company located in southern Illinois. Dr. Shawler serves as a consultant and trainer for the National Center on the Sexual Behavior Youth. His areas of interest and expertise include policy development and implementation of evidence-based programs for children and adolescents, juvenile justice and child welfare system reform, training in trauma informed practices and prevention of child maltreatment, family systems, and the treatment of youth with developmental disabilities.
Prior to opening his independent practice in southern Illinois, Dr. Shawler served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center where he conducted research and published numerous academic papers on problematic sexual behavior of youth. In 2017, he was appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma to serve on the State Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and later served as the Chief Psychologist for Oklahoma’s statewide juvenile justice agency while continuing to serve as faculty at OUHSC. He is a strong advocate for data driven policy and family centered services which impact the trajectory for youth who have engaged in problematic and illegal behavior.
Dr. Shawler served 14 years in the Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Major, prior to prioritizing his civilian career opportunities. He completed his doctorate and master’s degree in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University and completed his fellowship training at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. Paul grew up in Hurricane, West Virginia and received his B.S. in Psychology from West Virginia University.