Shelley Akerman, LPC

Shelley Akerman is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Georgia with 11 years of experience. She began clinical work after earning a master’s degree and has spent over a decade supporting people through hard moments. Her background includes outpatient and hospital settings, and she has worked with a wide range of adults across different identities and life situations.

Shelley keeps therapy direct and down-to-earth. Sessions are described as relaxed and friendly, with an emphasis on feeling supported and respected. She helps people talk through stress, anxiety, depression, addiction concerns, relationship and family difficulties, grief, and changes that come with illness or life transitions.

In sessions she focuses on practical steps and creative problem solving. Shelley uses approaches that include Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and narrative work to help people test new ways of coping and thinking. She explains things plainly and works at a pace that fits each person.

People who prefer a collaborative, nonjudgmental style may find her approach a good fit. She emphasizes real-world strategies like small behavior changes, clearer communication, and manageable coping tools. Shelley also works with concerns such as caregiver stress, body image, codependency, and ADHD alongside core mood and relationship issues.

She accepts international clients and conducts therapy in English. To begin, prospective clients use the site’s matching process to connect and schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.

How Shelley Uses Therapy Approaches Online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and partnership. The therapist offers an accepting, nonjudgmental space and follows the person’s pace to identify goals and next steps. This approach helps with building trust and sorting through difficult emotions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, behaviors, and feelings connect. It breaks problems into small steps and tries practical experiments to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity. It helps people notice difficult feelings without getting swept away and supports better emotional regulation during stressful moments.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels helpful. Together they pick methods and adjust them as needed so sessions stay useful and relevant.

If you prefer online sessions, confirm the available formats before booking since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example it can save travel time, allow for shorter check-ins, or reduce the need to be on camera during some meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT, client-centered work, and mindfulness practices to online conversations and exercises, helping people apply tools between sessions.