Shelley Smith

Shelley Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Georgia. She brings 13 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, addictions, and trauma. Shelley emphasizes that each person knows their story best and builds on existing strengths. She aims to make the first steps into therapy feel doable and supports clients through early uncertainties.

In sessions Shelley listens closely and focuses on practical steps people can use between meetings. Her approach blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral strategies to address unhelpful thoughts and patterns. She also draws on narrative and psychodynamic ideas to help clients make sense of their life stories and relationships.

Shelley often uses techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotion-regulation and coping skills. This can be helpful for people facing intense emotions, compassion fatigue, or difficulty with impulsive behaviors. She adapts tools to match each person's goals and daily life.

She has particular experience supporting people through grief and end-of-life concerns, as well as those coping with addiction and trauma. Shelley also helps people navigate parenting stress, intimacy-related issues, attachment concerns, and identity questions. Her work includes attention to first responder stress and aging-related challenges.

Sessions emphasize clear goals, small steps, and steady progress. Shelley encourages honest conversation about what’s working and what needs to change. She asks clients to set priorities so therapy stays focused on real-life needs.

How Shelley Uses Therapeutic Approaches Online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building on what each person already knows about themselves. It helps when people need a welcoming space to talk through problems and decide what matters most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. It offers clear exercises and small behavior changes that reduce anxiety, depression, and stress over time.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills. Those tools can be especially useful for people facing intense emotions, compassion fatigue, or impulsive behaviors.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shelley will collaborate with clients to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and day-to-day life. She checks in about what helps and adjusts the plan as progress is made.

Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm current online options before booking. Ask about the ways sessions are scheduled and delivered so they fit into your routine. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time, helping people access care around work, caregiving, or other commitments.