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.

Anxious. Easily hurt. Slow to bounce back from stress.Most people assume these are signs of something fundamentally wron...
04/17/2026

Anxious. Easily hurt. Slow to bounce back from stress.

Most people assume these are signs of something fundamentally wrong with their personality.

But according to personality science, sensitivity itself isn't what creates the overwhelm. It's the pattern of avoiding the feelings that come with it.

When you stop trying to escape your emotions, something counterintuitive happens: you actually feel them less intensely over time.

Facing them gives you data that your feelings are temporary, that having a strong reaction doesn't mean something bad will happen, and that you can handle more than you think.

The sensitivity doesn't disappear. It just stops being in charge.

In this week's blog, I share why avoidance backfires and what to do instead.

Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/you-are-not-too-sensitive

You want close relationships.But trusting people feels hard?It’s not because you’re “bad at relationships.”It’s because ...
04/07/2026

You want close relationships.

But trusting people feels hard?

It’s not because you’re “bad at relationships.”
It’s because your brain learned patterns to protect you
and now they’re showing up in your current relationships

In my newest blog, I break down:
→ why you pull back when things start to feel real (or vulnerable)
→ how trust patterns develop
→ and how to start shifting them (without forcing yourself to “just be more open”)

Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/struggle-with-trust

Personality tests are everywhere.The results can feel surprisingly accurate.You read them and think: “Yep… that checks o...
03/25/2026

Personality tests are everywhere.

The results can feel surprisingly accurate.
You read them and think: “Yep… that checks out.”

But then what?

Most personality assessments are designed to describe your patterns, not help you do anything differently with that information.

So the insight either fades away…
or it quietly turns into a label you carry around:

“I’m just not an assertive person.”
“I’m a perfectionist, that’s why I do this.”
“I’m an introvert, so networking isn’t really for me.”

But personality traits aren’t life sentences.

They’re patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that developed over time—and patterns can shift when we intentionally practice new responses.

The real value of personality insight is figuring out:

Given my tendencies, what’s the best next step for me? How can I pursue my goals even if my traits don't naturally make it easy?

That’s exactly what the Trait Alignment Compass is designed to help with.

Ready to put your personality test to good use and take your BEST NEXT STEP? https://tinyurl.com/mosttests

Some personality traits are better than others, right?Conscientious. Easy-going. Confident. Surely it's always a good id...
03/23/2026

Some personality traits are better than others, right?

Conscientious. Easy-going. Confident. Surely it's always a good idea to embrace these qualities.

But according to personality science, it's not quite so simple.

Whether personality traits help or hinder largely depends on fit with your goals.

In this week's Personality Compass Article, I share how to lean into the traits that are right for YOU... https://tinyurl.com/thehiddencost

Your best personality traits might also be your biggest blind spots.Every trait that helps you succeed also has a tippin...
03/18/2026

Your best personality traits might also be your biggest blind spots.

Every trait that helps you succeed also has a tipping point.

Being conscientious can turn into perfectionism.

Being agreeable can become people-pleasing.

Being extraverted can drift into attention-seeking or impulsive decisions.

Being emotionally stable can come across as distant or overly quick to “fix” problems.

We can't assume that being strong in these "positive" traits is a uniformly good thing.

The first question you should be asking yourself is whether your current patterns are aligned with the situation you're in and the life you're trying to build.

The immediate next question is this: If my traits are making it harder to pursue my goals, what am I going to do about it.

The science is incredibly clear - we can shift or nudge the traits that no longer serve us.

We can intentionally cultivate the traits that can bring us closer to the life we want.

What's shift would you make?

Here's how: https://tinyurl.com/Edit-tipping-point

The old way of thinking about personality is probably holding you back.For decades, we treated personality as something ...
03/16/2026

The old way of thinking about personality is probably holding you back.

For decades, we treated personality as something fixed—an underlying essence that determined how we think, behave, and what paths in life “fit” us.

But modern personality science tells a very different story.

Traits don’t determine your future. They summarize patterns you’ve practiced in the past—and patterns can change.

In this week’s newsletter, I explain the new science of personality and why psychologists increasingly view traits as something we can intentionally shape.

You can read the full piece here: https://tinyurl.com/the-new-science

I didn't become an psychology professor to write articles for other academics.I know it's cliche, but I wanted to help p...
03/11/2026

I didn't become an psychology professor to write articles for other academics.

I know it's cliche, but I wanted to help people and I saw developing more efficient, accessible treatments could do the greatest good - move the needle.

And so for the past 15 years, I studied personality change, published papers (so many papers), ran clinical trials, and presented my findings at conferences

And at some point, I realized something uncomfortable:

The science I was so excited about — the science that can meaningfully reduce barriers to living the lives people want — was mostly being shared with other academics.

So I started translating it.

It started with training therapists to use my interventions with their clients. But I wanted to go further.

So I gave a TEDx. I started going on podcasts. I had my 7 minutes of fame on CBS Sunday Morning (!!!).

But even then, something still felt incomplete.

I was sharing information, but not ways to take action.

The people in my clinical trials didn’t just learn about personality science.
They practiced structured, evidence-based tools that shifted how they think and behave.

And most people don’t have access to that.

So I built it.

The Personality Edit is the program where I translated 15+ years of research and clinical experience into a structured, self-guided process for intentional personality change.

It includes:
• Short, research-backed video lessons
• Structured exercises that turn new insight into actual action
• A system for accountability

It’s not motivational content.
It’s not personality typing.
It’s apply personality science to make real, meaningful change.

Access to evidence-based tools for personality change shouldn’t be limited to people who happen to enroll in a clinical trial or find the right therapist/coach.

If you’re curious what intentional personality design looks like in practice, enrollment for this cohort is open.

Check it out here: https://tinyurl.com/tpe-personality-science-fb

“Just be yourself” might be the most comfortable way to stay stuck.As a practicing clinical psychologist, I am a strong ...
03/09/2026

“Just be yourself” might be the most comfortable way to stay stuck.

As a practicing clinical psychologist, I am a strong advocate for self-acceptance.

As a researcher who studies how people intentionally shift personality traits that aren’t serving them, however, I sometimes wonder whether we’ve misunderstood what authenticity really means.

The question I answer in this week's Personality Compass Report: Is it possible to be authentic while actively trying to change?

🔗 to the full article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/self-made/202602/the-authenticity-myth

03/05/2026

Wanting to shift the parts of yourself that prevent you from living the life you want isn’t inauthentic or fake.

It’s strategic!

COMMENT EDIT and I’ll DM you information on my clinically proven framework for intentional personality design!

What if you could design your personality to fit the life you want?For decades, personality was treated as destiny.You d...
03/04/2026

What if you could design your personality to fit the life you want?

For decades, personality was treated as destiny.

You discovered your type.
You identified your strengths.
You stayed in your lane.

But modern personality science tells a different story.

Traits are not fixed identities.
They are descriptions of patterns — and patterns of thinking and behaviors can be shaped

For the past 15 years, my research and clinical work have focused on this question:

How can we intentionally shift the traits that create friction — without losing the strengths that define us?

The Personality Edit is the culmination of that work.

It translates cutting-edge research on personality change into an accessible, structured process for people who are ready to align who they are with the life they want.

Access to evidence-based strategies for growth shouldn’t be reserved for those with insider access.

If you’re ready to approach growth from a science-backed perspective, March enrollment in The Personality Edit is open.

Enroll by March 6th for special bonuses and early bird pricing: https://tinyurl.com/tpe-shift

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