Shauna Shapiro
Shauna Shapiro is a clinical psychologist, mindfulness researcher, professor, and author whose work bridges the ancient contemplative tradition of mindfulness with the rigor of contemporary neuroscience and clinical psychology. One of the world’s leading researchers on mindfulness-based interventions, she has spent over two decades studying how mindfulness practice changes the brain, the body, and the quality of human experience.
Shapiro is a professor at Santa Clara University, where she has taught courses on mindfulness and compassion for over twenty years. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University, where she also served on the faculty. Her clinical work has encompassed a range of populations, including cancer patients, medical students, healthcare providers, and individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, and chronic stress.
Her research has been published in top peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Clinical Psychology, the British Journal of Health Psychology, and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, and Training. She is the co-author of The Art and Science of Mindfulness, a foundational academic text, and a contributing author to numerous books and clinical handbooks on contemplative practice and psychological well-being.
Her accessible book Good Morning, I Love You: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Practices to Rewire Your Brain for Calm, Clarity, and Joy (2020) translates her research into practical tools for a general audience. The book introduces readers to her “Good Morning, I Love You” practice — a morning mindfulness routine that integrates self-compassion, attention training, and positive intention-setting — and grounds these practices in the neuroscience of how the brain changes in response to repeated patterns of attention and care. The book was praised for its accessibility, warmth, and scientific grounding.
Shapiro has given TED Talks on mindfulness and has delivered training programs to organizations including Google, Cisco, and the U.S. military. Her work consistently emphasizes that mindfulness is not simply a stress reduction technique but a fundamental shift in how we relate to our own experience — one that, over time, can rewire the brain toward greater compassion, clarity, and genuine well-being.
