Michael Shahnasarian, Ph.D.

Michael Shahnasarian, Ph.D., is president of Career Consultants of America, Inc., a private practice he founded in Tampa, Florida, in 1986. The practice provides services related to vocational rehabilitation and career development, rehabilitation psychology, human resources consulting, and life care planning. Additionally, Dr. Shahnasarian has provided expert witness services on vocational, life care planning, and rehabilitation psychology issues throughout the United States and abroad.

After completing undergraduate studies in psychology at Indiana University and a master’s degree in psychology at Texas A&M University, Dr. Shahnasarian earned a doctorate in counseling psychology at Florida State University. A licensed psychologist, he also holds board certifications as a rehabilitation counselor, vocational evaluator, career counselor, and life care planner.

Three organizations — the American Psychological Association, the National Career Development Association and the International Association of Life Care Planners — appointed Dr. Shahnasarian fellow status. He has received multiple awards that include selection as Rehabilitation Counselor of the Year in 1999 by the American Rehabilitation Counselor Association, and Outstanding Career Practitioner of the Year in 2002 by the National Career Development Association. The National Rehabilitation Association presented Dr. Shahnasarian the W.F. Faulkes Award in 2005 for his research and development of the Earning Capacity Assessment Form, a validated measure vocational evaluators use to assess claims of loss of earning capacity.  He has received many other national, state, and local awards (please refer to Dr. Shahnasarian's curriculum vitae).

Leadership in professional and civic organizations has also been a feature of Dr. Shahnasarian’s career development. He served as 1998 president of the National Career Development Association, a 10,000-member professional organization established in 1913. Former Florida Governor Lawton Chiles appointed Dr. Shahnasarian to the Florida Rehabilitation Council in 1998, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush reappointed him in 2000. His record also includes service on numerous editorial boards, presentation at national and international conferences, and membership on boards of directors.

Curriculum Vitae

American Psychological Association Division 17 Fellow Statement