Shelley Smith, LPC

Shelley Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Georgia with 13 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and addictions. Shelley frames clients as the experts on their own lives and aims to build on each person's strengths. She acknowledges how hard it is to begin therapy and affirms that taking the first step is meaningful.

Shelley uses clear, practical approaches in sessions. She draws on client-centered work to listen and respond to what matters most to the person in front of her. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps her break down patterns of thinking and behavior that keep people feeling stuck. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers tools for emotion regulation and coping with intense feelings.

Her background includes supporting people after trauma and abuse, and guiding those working through addiction and compulsive behaviors. She also helps with relationship and intimacy-related issues, parenting strain, ADHD, and first responder concerns. Aging and geriatric issues are listed among her additional focuses, so she is familiar with the challenges that can come with life transitions later on.

Shelley prefers straightforward, collaborative work. Sessions tend to be conversational and goal-oriented, with practical skills and homework when helpful. She centers a person’s strengths and life story while offering tools for change.

To begin, a prospective client completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules a session based on her availability. Shelley aims to make the process of reaching out as simple as possible.

Approaches that translate well to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person's concerns, helping the therapist tailor sessions to what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks down thoughts and behaviors into manageable steps and gives concrete strategies for anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills, which can be practiced and reviewed in session.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. Shelley will discuss goals and preferences and help decide which methods to emphasize. That collaborative process can include trying different techniques and adjusting the plan based on what helps most.

Please confirm the current session options before booking, since specific formats are not listed on this profile. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time, enabling shorter check-ins during a work break, or letting someone join when fewer disruptions are possible. Many people find that talking through problems, practicing skills, and receiving homework or worksheets works well in remote sessions with licensed professionals.