Dr. Shannon Curry, PhD       

Dr. Shannon Curry is a clinical and forensic psychologist and the founder of Curry Psychology Group, a leading mental health center in Southern California. She is licensed in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Louisiana and is credentialed through PSYPACT for interjurisdictional practice in 43 additional states. For more than 15 years, she has specialized in relationships, trauma, and complex psychopathology. In addition to maintaining an active therapy practice, she also trains future clinicians, contributes to international research, serves on professional boards for the California Psychological Association and UC Irvine, and provides expert testimony in 

high-stakes legal matters, including death row and criminal and civil federal cases. 

Dr. Curry gained international recognition for her compelling testimony in the Depp v. Heard trial, where her composure, ethical clarity, and ability to distill complex science into clear insights drew global attention. Known for her genuine warmth, engaging presence, and clinical expertise, Dr. Curry is a sought-after speaker for an array of topics ranging from leadership skills, optimizing wellbeing, and strengthening relationships; to navigating grief, trauma, and the precursors of violence. Her range and depth make her a trusted voice today’s most pressing issues around mental health, law, and human behavior. 

Known for her genuine warmth, engaging presence, and clinical expertise, Dr. Curry is a sought-after speaker for an array of topics ranging from leadership skills, optimizing wellbeing, and strengthening relationships; to navigating grief, trauma, and the precursors of violence. Her range and depth make her a trusted voice today’s most pressing issues around mental health, law, and human behavior. 

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The Science of Evil, the Power of Empathy, and the Therapist's Role in a Divided World         

Saturday | May 2, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm 
(1.5 CEs)

Description:

What turns an ordinary person into someone capable of cruelty? And what does it take to sit across from that person and still see their humanity? Drawing on landmark social psychology research, from Milgram's obedience studies to Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment, and her own extensive clinical and forensic experience, Dr. Shannon Curry explores how situational forces, broken systems, and cycles of trauma create the conditions for deviance and violence. Her work spans military service members with combat-related PTSD, civilians who have survived war, survivors of domestic violence, convicted perpetrators of violence, and defendants facing the death penalty. Through this research and these experiences, Dr. Curry makes the case that therapists possess a set of skills the world urgently needs: the ability to hold complexity without collapsing into judgment, to ask questions that invite genuine self-reflection rather than defensiveness, and to maintain awareness of their own internal reactions so they can stay present even in the most difficult conversations. Emerging research shows that these very capacities, non-judgmental inquiry, patient curiosity, and perspective-taking, are among the only interventions shown to reduce polarization and shift entrenched beliefs. At a time when our professional ethics codes call us to safeguard human dignity and contribute to the welfare of society, this keynote examines how strengthening self-awareness, empathy, and the therapeutic skills we already practice can influence not only individual lives but systemic change and peace.

Learning Objectives.:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify at least three situational and systemic factors demonstrated by social psychology research (e.g., obedience to authority, diffusion of responsibility, dehumanization) that contribute to ordinary people engaging in harmful behavior, and explain how cycles of trauma within broken systems perpetuate violence across individuals and communities.
• Describe at least two research-supported techniques, including non-judgmental inquiry and perspective-taking, that have been shown to reduce polarized thinking and promote openness to change, and connect these findings to core clinical competencies such as Socratic questioning, motivational interviewing, and reflective listening.
• Articulate at least one way how therapists' professional training in empathy, meta-awareness of countertransference, and personal self-examination functions as both an ethical mandate (as outlined by APA, AAMFT, and CAMFT) and a mechanism for promoting tolerance, reducing dehumanization, and contributing to broader systemic and cultural change.