About Dr. Shay

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” - Maya Angelou

I help families build relationally focused systems that support not only financial continuity—but emotional clarity, cultural alignment, and generational trust.

With a background in Marriage and Family Therapy, Financial Therapy, and a Certificate in Family Business Leadership, I sit at the intersection of psychology, legacy planning, and family enterprise. I bring a calm, emotionally intelligent presence to moments of transition, uncertainty, or complexity.

I left academia to answer a deeper calling: to help families name what matters, repair what’s been unspoken, and build a legacy that’s not only strategic—but sustaining.

I've seen how wealth without understanding can fracture families, and how-with care and clarity-the legacy planning process can become a tool for healing, cohesion, and vision.

I believe:

• Communication and connection are the foundation of generational continuity.

• Values, when clarified and lived, are more powerful than any financial asset.

• Families deserve tools for retention, restoration, and rootedness.

How I Work

I serve as a trusted, grounded guide—what I often call an emotional ballast—helping families navigate the internal and interpersonal dimensions of legacy. My role is not to dictate answers, but to create the conditions for alignment, clarity, and meaningful development.

My approach integrates:

• Relational insight drawn from family systems theory and therapeutic practice

• Culturally aware facilitation that honors lineage, nuance, and identity

• Strategic legacy frameworks to support planning, transition, and continuity