About
Paul T. Shattuck, MSW, PhD
Consultant, strategist, and writer helping individuals and organizations stay principled, resilient, and effective in the face of political harm and systemic upheaval.
Stay Human, Stay Strategic
We’re living through a time of political disruption, program cuts, and institutional instability. Individuals and organizations alike are under pressure—searching for ways to stay effective without losing their purpose or integrity.
That’s the focus of my work: supporting people and institutions trying to stay principled and effective—even as the rules get rewritten around them.
I help people navigate moral injury, burnout, and disorientation. I support mission-driven organizations facing external threats, internal strain, or strategic uncertainty. Whether I’m writing for readers or consulting with teams, I offer tools, language, and insight to help them stay grounded and responsive in volatile conditions.
My aim is not to prescribe a single path forward, but to hold up a mirror, offer perspective, and support principled action—rooted in clarity, not panic.
My Story
I see opportunities where others see dead ends. My career has been built on going where the herd isn't—finding untapped questions and unexplored directions that turn into meaningful impact. From pioneering autism research to launching research centers, from community organizing to strategy consulting, I’ve built a life around making the unlikely possible.
Over the years, I’ve worked as a professor, nonprofit leader, researcher, coalition builder, and community organizer. I’ve rebuilt after personal and financial collapse more than once. Those experiences taught me how to hold space for uncertainty, complexity, and transformation—whether in institutions or individual lives.
I’ve never followed a single path, but I’ve always been guided by one question:
How can I love well, contribute meaningfully, and enjoy the ride as much as I can?
That question shapes everything I do. It’s why my work blends strategy and soul, clarity and compassion. Clients don’t come to me for prepackaged answers. They come for honest reflection, deep listening, fierce insight, and the rare chance to do serious work in a space that still makes room for laughter, grief, joy, and awe.
That’s how I show up—because that’s how we stay human, even in the hardest places.
How I Can Help
I work with mission-driven organizations and leaders navigating hard terrain—political interference, program cuts, moral injury, public confusion, and the slow erosion of trust in institutions.
For organizational clients, I offer strategy advising, thought partnership, and message development. I help teams clarify purpose, name hard truths, and act with integrity under pressure—especially when facing disinformation, backlash, or leadership fatigue.
For individual readers and changemakers, my writing offers practical clarity and emotional resonance. It’s not self-help. It’s a framework for staying human and effective in times of collapse.
Whether through consulting or writing, my goal is the same: to offer useful tools and fresh perspective—so you can move forward without abandoning what matters most.
Stay Connected
This site is where I share that work. If any of this resonates, I invite you to join the list. You’ll get writing, tools, and strategy notes designed to help you stay grounded, connected, and ready to respond to whatever comes next.