UnPacking with Dr. Shanea Thomas LICSW on DEI, Mental Health, & LGBTQI+ Access

Dr. Shanéa Thomas (He/She/Dr.) is an award-winning AASECT Certified Sex Educator, bold lecturer, seasoned scholar–practitioner, and TEDx Speaker with over 20 years of professional clinical social work experience in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Dr. Thomas is dedicated to training social workers, educators, and service providers to build safer therapeutic and educational spaces, especially for underserved communities and those identifying as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQI+.

With over 100 workshops facilitated on DEI needs, mental health, and LGBTQI+ populations, Dr. Thomas transitioned from a decade-long role as Senior Lecturer at the University of Southern California School of Social Work in 2022. Now, he serves as the LGBTQ+ Training Specialist and Assistant Clinical Research Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, launching a national training program to build LGBTQ+ competency among mental health professionals.

As a Board Member of the National AIDS Memorial and a featured mental health professional on the “Positive Voices” podcast, Dr. Thomas actively supports individuals living with HIV. He also maintains a clinical private practice focused on trauma and inclusivity and consults as a Research Associate with WhitWorthKee Associates.

Dr. Thomas’ extensive education includes a Master of Social Work from Howard University, a Master of Education in Human Sexuality Studies from Widener University, and clinical training from the International Psychotherapy Institute. His frameworks include psychodynamic psychotherapy, intersectionality, Empowerment Theory, and decolonizing/oppressionist theory.

Certified as a Compassionate Bereavement Care Provider, Dr. Thomas is also a Guest Lecturer for the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing’s Grief Institute Certification Program.

Currently, Dr. Thomas is writing a text based on his dissertation about burnout among transgender, queer, and nonbinary peer support workers, aimed at supporting their community service work and legacy.