Personality Compass with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala

Personality Compass with Dr. Shannon Sauer-Zavala Using science-backed strategies to empower people to become the best version of themselves. Visit my website to work with me!

Dr. Shannon is mental health expert, personality scientist, and TEDx speaker who busts myth that personality is set in stone. Expert Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Specialized mental health services for anxiety, depression, and borderline personality disorder. Evidence-based therapy tailored to help clients feel better and live a more fulfilling life. Personality Coaching for Goal Achievement: Develop the traits and skills needed to reach your personal and professional goals with personalized, growth-oriented coaching. Supervision, Consultation, and Training for Mental Health Providers: Expert guidance in CBT, Unified Protocol, and BPD Compass. Training workshops available for therapists seeking advanced, evidence-based methods. Certification programs and program implementation also available.

If you’ve ever looked at a promotion, a leadership role, or even a high-visibility project and thought:“That’s not for s...
11/17/2025

If you’ve ever looked at a promotion, a leadership role, or even a high-visibility project and thought:

“That’s not for someone like me…”

You’re not alone.

Most of us were taught that leadership requires a certain type — bold, extroverted, charismatic.

But personality science paints a completely different picture:

Leadership isn’t a type. It’s a mix of traits — many of which you probably already have. The rest can be developed on purpose.

Great Leaders can be: Quiet, empathetic, assertive, visionary, practical, steady under pressure, grounded, deep listeners, decisive, and more…

The truth is:
You weren’t born “not leadership material.”
You were just handed a limited definition of leadership.

If you want to understand which traits naturally support your leadership potential — and which ones you can intentionally grow — I built a tool to help.

👉 Comment QUIZ to get the free Personality Compass Assessment.

It’s science-backed, not box-based, and shows you the traits that can move you toward the roles (and life) you want.

11/16/2025

Personality tests shouldn’t tell you who you are.
They should help you become who you want to be.

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by a “type,” here’s your permission slip to rewrite the story.

Comment QUIZ

I’ll send you my science-backed Personality Compass Assessment — the only test designed to help you grow, not limit you.

11/12/2025

When I lived in Boston, I was anxious, self-conscious, and relentlessly conscientious — the kind of combo that ties self-worth to productivity.

It wasn’t working.

Part of it was the environment I worked in…
Part of it was just me - a first gen college student, trying to prove herself in academia).

When I moved to Kentucky, I knew I needed to make a change.
I started small: coming home right at five, keeping my laptop closed after dinner, saying yes to fun, even if wasn’t planned.

Over time, as my behaviors changed first, my beliefs about what it means to be successful followed.

And then my identity shifted. My value isn’t tied to how quickly answering emails and how fast I turn projects around quickly.

You don’t always notice personality change while you’re living it —
until you come back to your old city and everything feels different.

Taking the train through Boston this week, I caught myself just looking out the window instead of at my watch.

Same city, same career, but a completely different comfort level in my own skin.

Proof that personality change is real — and it’s possible for anyone. 🧭

It’s completely normal to not be so wild about certain parts of your personality. 🎭Sometimes our patterns hold us back f...
11/11/2025

It’s completely normal to not be so wild about certain parts of your personality. 🎭

Sometimes our patterns hold us back from professional and personal goals ⚠️

But the good news is that personality isn’t fixed. You can intentionally cultivate the trait you need to be successful in the life you want!

Comment ARTICLE and I’ll dm you the link to read my new piece on the subject!

“I’m not cut out for a leadership role”“I can’t get myself motivated until the last minute”“I’m a perfectionist”These ar...
11/10/2025

“I’m not cut out for a leadership role”
“I can’t get myself motivated until the last minute”
“I’m a perfectionist”

These are things I hear all the time from clients, friends, and family.

They buy into the myth that personality is set in stone. That a tiger can’t change his stripes.

But the data tell us a completely different story!

I’m a clinical psychologist and personality scientist. I develop and test programs to intentionally shift personality traits that hold people back from the lives they want.

The people I work with see 20 years worth of natural personality evolution in fewer than 20 weeks!

And I’ve distilled the five best strategies into a simple “Personality Compass” Roadmap.

Comment ROADMAP and I’ll dm the link to check it out!

A tiger can’t change its stripes, right? When it comes to changing your personality, this old saying couldn’t be farther...
11/05/2025

A tiger can’t change its stripes, right? When it comes to changing your personality, this old saying couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Research (including my own!) shows that we can intentionally develop the traits that will come in handy building a life you love.

It’s not about becoming a completely different person — just more of the person your goals are calling you to be.

There’s no “optimal” personality to aim for. Your path to growth is as unique as you are.

✨ Maybe your version of growth is learning into boundaries instead of people-pleasing.

✨ Or catching yourself when you automatically assume the worst

✨ Or building systems that make follow-through easier.

Personality change doesn’t happen overnight. BUT, it also doesn’t take as long as you think!

Making small shifts to your thinking patterns and behaviors can snowball over time. In my clinical trials, we see significant personality growth in just a month or two.

🧭 The first step on any personal growth journey? Knowing your starting point!

Comment TEST and I’ll send you my free Personality Compass Assessment to get your personalized roadmap.

It is backed by science (not like many of the most popular tests) and it has a growth mindset!)

I had the pleasure of sitting down with  to talk about all things personality. We chat about how targeting personality v...
11/04/2025

I had the pleasure of sitting down with to talk about all things personality.

We chat about how targeting personality vulnerabilities is the future of mental healthcare, intentional personality change for life optimization and yes, the “otravert.”

11/03/2025

👋 Hey there, self-aware human who’s ready to grow on purpose (or…just tired of your own patterns)

My account is for you. Here, you’ll find:

💎 Science-backed tools to understand and intentionally shift your personality traits
💎 Strategies to turn overthinking into clarity and emotional reactivity into calm
💎 Guidance for aligning who you are with who you want to become
💎 Real-talk reminders that growth isn’t about fixing yourself — it’s about directing your traits with intention

Your personality isn’t set in stone — it’s a starting point.
And you can learn to become the person you want to be - backed by science!

Follow 👉 .made.personality for tips to help you go from stuck in old patterns to intentional growth.

✨ Comment JANUARY and I’ll DM you the registration link ✨Q: What do you call a people-pleasing perfectionist during the ...
11/03/2025

✨ Comment JANUARY and I’ll DM you the registration link ✨

Q: What do you call a people-pleasing perfectionist during the holidays?

A: Running on caffeine, glitter, and guilt.

If that hit a little too close to home… this event is for you.

Before you promise yourself that “next year will be different,” come learn how to make it different now.

Join us for Why Wait for January — a free in-person event in Lexington, KY where we’ll help you:

🎁 Enjoy the season without running yourself ragged

🔥 Wrap up 2025 with energy (and actual joy) to spare

🧭 Step into 2026 clear, confident, and already aligned with what matters most

Hosted by me .made.personality (a clinical psychologist helping ambitious women ditch people-pleasing + perfectionism) and (an executive coach who gets what it means to juggle leadership and motherhood without losing yourself.).

You’ll learn how to:
🌙 Spot the “good girl” rules that keep you overcommitted

💡 Redefine success so it actually feels good

🫶 Find support that lasts longer than your holiday burnout

We’re gathering at The Willow, a cozy, plant-filled wine bar where it’s safe to exhale.

Come for the clarity. Stay for the company (and maybe a glass of something bubbly). 🥂🌿

✨ Comment JANUARY and we’ll DM you the registration link ✨

Where would you be if you let the personality test you took at 18 years old define you?I’d still be the shy, disorganize...
11/02/2025

Where would you be if you let the personality test you took at 18 years old define you?

I’d still be the shy, disorganized kid who thought “responsible” and “confident” weren’t in my DNA. I definitely wouldn’t be a professor, author, and speaker!

You don’t have to let your “type” put in you a box because you can build the traits you need to be successful in the life you want.

Personality science tells us that traits change across your life and that you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to the direction of that change.

I’m a clinical psychology and personality optimization expert and I love helping people break out of the personality type “boxes”

✨Comment DREAMS and I’ll DM you my new Psychology Today article on how to start cultivating the personality traits that align with your dreams + exclusive access to proven tools to set these changes in motion.

The first step to becoming the version of yourself who actually builds the life you’ve been dreaming about is knowing yo...
11/02/2025

The first step to becoming the version of yourself who actually builds the life you’ve been dreaming about is knowing your starting point. 🧭

COMMENT QUIZ below 👇 and I’ll DM my free, PERSONALITY COMPASS ASSESSMENT!

This test is:

💁‍♀️ developed by me, a clinical psychologist and researcher who studies personality change for a living

📈 backed by over 100 years of science (not developed by corporations peddling invalid tests to HR departments)

🌱 designed with a growth mindset - personality science shows that traits aren’t fixed and this test will give you actionable strategies to capitalize on your strengths and shift in the areas that don’t serve you.

But when you’re starting out on any journey, you need to know where you’re starting

✨ COMMENT QUIZ and I’ll send you my free Personality Compass Assessment — a personalized guide to the traits you can strengthen to create the life you want.

Address

343 Waller Avenue
Lexington, KY
40504

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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