- Client-centered care
- Trauma-informed methods
- Practical coping tools
About Shelley
Shelley Adkins is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience in Kentucky who helps adults facing major life challenges. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship difficulties. Shelley aims to make sessions practical and focused on what matters to each person.
Her approach is warm and client-centered. She listens closely to understand each person’s history and current struggles, then helps them set clear goals. Shelley blends practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness skills and narrative techniques to change unhelpful patterns and rebuild a sense of control.
Shelley also supports people coping with caregiver strain, chronic illness, and the emotional fallout after disasters. She helps clients learn communication skills, manage anger, and strengthen self-esteem. When traumatic events or abuse are part of the story, she uses trauma-focused methods to help people process what happened and reduce its hold on daily life.
Over her career she has worked with a wide range of adult concerns including career stress, compassion fatigue, aging issues, and first responder stress. Her style is straightforward and respectful, and she focuses on building resilience and practical coping strategies. Sessions aim to leave people with clearer steps they can use between meetings.
To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to therapist availability. Shelley guides each person in creating a plan that fits their needs and life circumstances.
How specific approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping people set their own goals. Online sessions using this approach prioritize understanding a person's concerns and tailoring each session to what they need that day. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers clear tools for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Delivered remotely, CBT still uses exercises, thought records, and step-by-step plans to reduce anxiety, manage depression, and tackle stressors.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shelley will work with each person to identify which methods fit their goals and preferences. She may blend techniques so that practical skill-building sits alongside exploration of personal stories and meaning.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten check-ins when needed, or avoid travel time. It also supports consistent follow-up after stressful events, including coping with natural or human-caused disaster, by keeping contacts regular and focused on recovery tasks.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
Kentucky
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Shelley often address?
Shelley works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship struggles, parenting strain, caregiver stress, and related issues such as chronic illness and compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is warm and client-centered. She combines listening with straightforward, skills-based work drawn from cognitive behavioral and mindfulness approaches.
What kind of experience does she bring?
She has 25 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker in Kentucky working with adults across a range of life challenges and transitions.
Where is Shelley based and what is her credential?
She practices in Kentucky and holds the credential LCSW, which stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted; prospective clients should plan for services within the therapist's region.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to the therapist's availability.