OP Psyc is the shortened name for Order and Progress Psychology, PC. Dr. Shulze started OP Psyc to help bring order to disorder and support daily progress (Kaizen) in every person he has the privilege of serving.
Why Choose OP Psyc?
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Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington state and California
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Decades of experience in martial arts and competition
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Expertise in brain injury, chronic illness, and neurological recovery
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Personalized, evidence-based telemental health care
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Confidential, secure, and accessible online therapy
Start Your Journey Today!
Contact OP Psyc for a free consultation
Education
Doctorate in Psychology
Dr. Shulze is a licensed clinical psychologist based in California with a deep commitment to evidence-based telemental health services. A native of sunny Southern California, his journey in psychology began in 2007 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, where he discovered his calling to become a clinical psychologist.
He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the APA-accredited Saint Louis University in Missouri, completing rigorous generalist training in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of mental health conditions. During his doctoral education, Dr. Shulze developed advanced specializations in psychological and neurocognitive assessment, behavioral health consultation, and clinical sport psychology. As the lead sport psychology coordinator at the SLU Sport Psychology Lab, he worked closely with NCAA Division I teams, offering mental performance training, team assessments, and clinical intervention to athletes, coaches, trainers, and medical professionals.
Experience
Extensive Clinical Psychology Training Rooted in Rehabilitation and Sport Performance.
Dr. Shulze completed his predoctoral internship at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, where he gained extensive experience in trauma-focused care, substance use treatment, behavioral health consultation, and neuropsychological evaluation.
He then pursued a competitive two-year postdoctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation Psychology at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California. There, he worked on multidisciplinary medical teams treating patients with complex conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, epilepsy, limb amputation, and other neurological or medically complex disorders. He provided neurocognitive assessments, medical decision-making capacity evaluations, and brief evidence-based therapy to support emotional resilience and reintegration into the community.
In 2023, following the completion of his fellowship, Dr. Shulze became a staff psychologist with the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Program at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach. He continues to serve full-time in that capacity while also offering private telemental health sessions through OP Psyc.
In addition to his VA work, Dr. Shulze has provided medical-legal assessments for personal injury and workers’ compensation cases.
Specialized Training
Dr. Shulze has treated a broad spectrum of psychological and neurological conditions, including (but not limited to):
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Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Stroke (Cerebrovascular Accident)
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Spinal Cord Injury
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Multiple Sclerosis
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Guillain-Barré Syndrome
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Delirium
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Functional Neurological Disorder
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Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders
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Autoimmune and Infectious Brain Disorders (e.g., neurosyphilis, fungal, parasitic, viral)
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Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
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Neurocognitive Disorders (formerly dementia)
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Mood and Anxiety Disorders related to medical illness
Sport Psychology & Performance: A Personal and Professional Passion
Dr. Shulze’s interest in sport psychology was shaped by both academic pursuit and personal experience. A lifelong martial arts enthusiast, he began training in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2006 under UFC veteran Michael “Joker” Guymon in Lake Forest, CA. To support his training, he worked at a pharmacy, assisting customers with mobility needs—a formative experience that later influenced his work in rehabilitation psychology.
In 2007, Dr. Shulze began working with Gracie Barra, one of the world’s largest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) organizations. He quickly advanced to become a program director at a franchise school in Santa Ana, CA. While balancing college coursework, he trained, taught classes, managed gym operations, and competed at the local, national, and international levels—including Pan-American and World BJJ competitions.
Though he demonstrated exceptional skill, Dr. Shulze struggled with performance inconsistency under pressure, which sparked his interest in the psychological aspects of athletic performance.
In 2012, a serious motorcycle accident led to multiple surgeries and extended periods of immobility. His recovery required a year of collective rehabilitation and reignited his focus on resilience and mental performance. During this time, he earned his undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he began research in sport psychology.
By 2015, he returned to BJJ competition and relocated to Northridge to train under world champion Romulo Barral. In 2017, he was awarded his black belt by Ulpiano Malachias, Romulo Barral, and Master Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhães. That same year, he graduated with honors from California State University, Northridge with a Master's in Clinical Psychology, having published research in sport psychology.
He later completed his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Saint Louis University, with continued emphasis on sport performance and well-being. Even while working full time and conducting doctoral research, Dr. Shulze continued to train and compete in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, describing it as a grounding force and an essential part of his personal growth and mental health.
Today, he continues to compete as a masters-level BJJ black belt and offers specialized sport psychology services to grappling athletes, MMA fighters, and other high-performance individuals.
Dr. Shulze often jokes—half-quoting Liam Neeson from Taken—that he has “a very particular set of skills,” honed over years of training and clinical practice. His expertise spans rehabilitation psychology, neuropsychology, sport performance enhancement, and trauma-informed care—making him a trusted ally for athletes, veterans, and individuals facing life-changing medical challenges.