About Me
Late 1989, after earning her Master's
Degree in marriage and family counseling at the Phillip's
Graduate Institute in Los Angeles, Shelley moved to Santa Cruz,
California to establish her counseling practice. In addition to her
private practice, she served as a staff counselor and group
facilitator at The Camp, a substance abuse treatment center.
Her weekly lectures included topics such as Addiction and Co-Dependency, Communication Skills, Maintaining Healthy Boundaries, Relationship Dynamics, and Managing Change.
Shelley soon isolated an underlying issue common to most of her clients, low self-esteem, and developed an intensive 12-week self-esteem improvement course. Well over 500 participants in the Santa Cruz and San Jose areas attended her private practice workshops and client hosted lectures addressing self-esteem.
Years later, when Shelley's personal life presented multiple losses, her clinical interests expanded to include the psychology of the broken heart and grieving. Individuals and couples in troubled relationships due to divorce, infidelity, disappointment and grief predominated her practice.
In more recent years, Shelley combined her training in EMDR and Process Therapy to treat deep-seated troubling patterns and adults impacted by childhood trauma.
Her weekly lectures included topics such as Addiction and Co-Dependency, Communication Skills, Maintaining Healthy Boundaries, Relationship Dynamics, and Managing Change.
Shelley soon isolated an underlying issue common to most of her clients, low self-esteem, and developed an intensive 12-week self-esteem improvement course. Well over 500 participants in the Santa Cruz and San Jose areas attended her private practice workshops and client hosted lectures addressing self-esteem.
Years later, when Shelley's personal life presented multiple losses, her clinical interests expanded to include the psychology of the broken heart and grieving. Individuals and couples in troubled relationships due to divorce, infidelity, disappointment and grief predominated her practice.
In more recent years, Shelley combined her training in EMDR and Process Therapy to treat deep-seated troubling patterns and adults impacted by childhood trauma.
LICENSE AND AFFILIATIONS
License and Certification:
Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist, CA License #31356
Certified Process Therapist
Certified Master Hypnotist
Certified Grief Counselor
Certified EMDR Practitioner
Affiliations:
International Association of EMDR
National Association for Self-Esteem
Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist
Workshop and lecture venues include:
Santa Clara University
San Jose State College
Cabrillo College
De Anza College
Dominican Hospital Women's Wisdom Conference
City of San Jose employee education program
City of Cupertino Parks and Recreation
Dominican Hospital personal enrichment program
Twin Lakes College
Licensed Marriage, Family Therapist, CA License #31356
Certified Process Therapist
Certified Master Hypnotist
Certified Grief Counselor
Certified EMDR Practitioner
Affiliations:
International Association of EMDR
National Association for Self-Esteem
Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist
Workshop and lecture venues include:
Santa Clara University
San Jose State College
Cabrillo College
De Anza College
Dominican Hospital Women's Wisdom Conference
City of San Jose employee education program
City of Cupertino Parks and Recreation
Dominican Hospital personal enrichment program
Twin Lakes College
THEORETICAL ORIENTATION
I have a psycho-dynamic,
insight-oriented approach that integrates self-psychology, object
relations, family systems, person-centered, and Adlerian theories.
Although I use an eclectic approach, I have found psycho-dynamic
theory to be the most comprehensive way of understanding
psychological functioning.
I often use cognitive behavioral techniques to help manage symptoms and draw from any combination of modalities to individualize therapy for each person and situation. Interventions include but are not limited to: conflict identification and resolution, communication skill building, directive input, analysis and interpretation, role playing, modeling, problem solving and guided imagery. As an active therapist, I voice my reactions during a session to understand my client’s feelings and behavior. When a client comes in to work I leave my agenda and ego out of the way. I am not invested in changing my client or changing myself for the client. I am trained to maintain a neutral, connected posture and act as a barometer to give feedback to what is happening in the room.
I often use cognitive behavioral techniques to help manage symptoms and draw from any combination of modalities to individualize therapy for each person and situation. Interventions include but are not limited to: conflict identification and resolution, communication skill building, directive input, analysis and interpretation, role playing, modeling, problem solving and guided imagery. As an active therapist, I voice my reactions during a session to understand my client’s feelings and behavior. When a client comes in to work I leave my agenda and ego out of the way. I am not invested in changing my client or changing myself for the client. I am trained to maintain a neutral, connected posture and act as a barometer to give feedback to what is happening in the room.
