Shelley Smith, LPC

Shelley Smith is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Georgia. She brings 13 years of clinical experience helping people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and trauma and abuse. Shelley emphasizes the strengths people already have and values the courage it takes to begin therapy.

Her approach is warm and practical. Sessions focus on clear, doable steps to manage symptoms and make life feel more manageable. She uses listening and questions to help people tell their story and notice patterns that keep them stuck.

Shelley draws on several therapy styles to match each person’s needs. She uses client-centered methods to build a respectful, collaborative relationship. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify and shift thoughts and behaviors that feed anxiety or depression.

She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance, and Narrative Therapy to reframe personal stories. Psychodynamic ideas are woven in to explore long-standing patterns and relationships.

Shelley works with a wide range of concerns including addictions, parenting stress, intimacy and relationship challenges, body image, attachment wounds, first responder stress, and compassion fatigue. She supports people dealing with life transitions, abandonment or family of origin problems. If you want a thoughtful, skills-focused ally to help you make changes, she can help you get started.

How therapeutic approaches shape online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on building a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship. The therapist listens closely and follows the person's lead to uncover strengths and priorities. This approach helps people feel seen and understood as they make changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches practical exercises to reduce anxiety and depressive patterns, which can be practiced between sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and tolerating stress without acting impulsively.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Shelley will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That choice can change over time as progress is made and new priorities emerge.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by saving travel time or allowing shorter check-ins. If you prefer specific session formats, please confirm the options Shelley is currently offering before booking. Many people find online work helps maintain momentum between sessions while using the same therapy techniques they would get in person.