About

Hi! My name is Shelly and I am an experienced licensed professional counselor in the state of New Jersey. I have over 10 years of professional experience working in the mental health field. I received my Master's degree in counseling from The College of New Jersey. Through my work experiences, I have worked with diverse groups of children and adolescents, adults, and families in a variety of settings, including outpatient, school-based, and in-home. I have experience working with people who struggle with anxiety, depression, life transitions, trauma, abuse, self-esteem issues, marital difficulties, child-parent conflicts, anger management, emotional/behavioral issues, grief and loss, teenage pregnancy, postpartum depression and anxiety, ADHD, and faith-based issues.

I use an integrated approach to therapy. This means that I pull from several therapeutic theoretical orientations as I work collaboratively with you in therapy. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, acceptance and commitment, attachment theory, and motivational interviewing approaches to counseling. I believe in treating every person on an individual basis. After all, everyone’s journey is unique.

I believe that one of the most important elements in therapy is the relationship that I build with each individual. Therefore, my first priority is to build a rapport and establish a nonjudgemental environment where each person feels safe sharing their most vulnerable emotions. People come into therapy at different stages of change. Some seek much needed validation for issues they have carried around for so long. Others come needing to process through past experiences that have been weighing them down. Then there are some who want to learn practical skills and gain tools to help them in life moving forward.

Whatever the motivation for seeking therapy, I greet each individual with a warm, compassionate, person-centered, holistic, multicultural, and strengths-based approach to treatment. I believe in the power of helping people discover the inner wealth and strengths they already possess to help themselves navigate through life’s hardships. I am here to instill hope, support, empower, and encourage.

Looking forward to hearing your story and journeying with you on your path towards healing!