- Years in practice
- 11
- Credentials
- LPC
- Licensed in
- Georgia
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Shelley
Shelley Akerman is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Georgia with 11 years of experience. She brings a calm, down-to-earth presence to sessions and focuses on practical steps people can use right away. Shelley emphasizes respect and acceptance while helping clients set realistic goals for change.
Her approach is friendly and straightforward. Sessions aim to be a place to talk through stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship struggles.
Background and approach
Shelley also supports people dealing with parenting concerns, addiction, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and major life transitions. Shelley draws on methods that help people notice patterns, try small changes, and build new skills. She uses client-centered talk, cognitive-behavioral tools, mindfulness practices, motivational interviewing, and narrative work to match what each person needs.
Together with clients she looks for clear, manageable steps rather than long lists of theory. Before becoming an LPC she completed a master’s degree at Mercer University in Atlanta. Her clinical background includes outpatient and hospital settings, where she worked with a wide age range and many different concerns.
That mix informs how she balances support and practical problem solving in sessions. People who prefer a collaborative, warm, and pragmatic style often find her approach helpful. Shelley helps individuals work through family and parenting stress, communication problems, and issues tied to self-worth.
She focuses on what clients want to change and how to get there in real life.
What Shelley works with
Everything Shelley lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Shelley helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Shelley lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and shaping sessions around what matters most to the person. It helps people feel heard and guides conversations toward their own goals rather than a preset agenda.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and for building practical coping skills that can be used between sessions.
Mindfulness therapy brings attention to the present moment with simple exercises for noticing thoughts and bodily sensations. This can reduce reactivity and help with emotion regulation throughout daily life.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shelley will work together with each person to choose methods that match needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts techniques as progress is made.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls are good for full-session conversations, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat and messaging allow shorter check-ins and support between meetings. These options make it easier to fit care into work, parenting, or other busy schedules while still focusing on meaningful change.
Questions people ask about Shelley
What concerns does Shelley address?
Shelley works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and communication problems, addiction, parenting issues, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is down-to-earth, friendly, and collaborative. She focuses on practical, manageable steps and combines listening with hands-on strategies.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 11 years of experience working in outpatient and hospital settings and holds a master’s degree from Mercer University in Atlanta.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Georgia and practices with that credential.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats can clients choose?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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