Dr. Shands graduated from Furman University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education. She taught 5th grade in Sumter, SC for one year before moving to Memphis, Tennessee for graduate school at the University of Memphis. Dr. Shands trained in diverse settings including the University of Memphis Psychological Service Center, Head Start, Memphis City Schools, and the University of Tennessee Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Shands was awarded the Ballard Award for Outstanding Graduate Student by the Tennessee Association of School Psychologists in 2006 and she completed an APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship with Psychological Services of Lewisville Independent School District in Texas in 2007-2008. She earned her Master of Science (2006) and Doctor of Philosophy (2008) degrees in Psychology with a concentration in School Psychology. Dr. Shands relocated to Greenville, SC in July of 2008 to complete a fellowship with Clarity prior to working as a School Psychologist with Greenville County Schools for six years. She returned to Clarity in 2015 as a Licensed Psychologist and served as Clarity's Executive Director until early 2023. Dr. founded Palmetto Psychological Associates in early 2023 and returned to full time practice as a psychologist. Dr. Shands’ professional interests include evaluation of neurodevelopmental disorders, including learning disorders (including dyslexia), attention problems, and autism spectrum disorders. She is a Licensed Psychologist, Certified School Psychologist III, and Nationally Registered Health Service Psychologist. She has served on the national Board of Directors of the Council for Exceptional Children and is a member of the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).