Hi, I’m Shelly, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York. I work with both individuals and couples, creating a space that is warm, supportive, honest, and judgment-free.
I believe therapy should be a place where you feel genuinely understood—but also a place where you can be challenged to grow. I’m not a “yes person.” While I’ll always meet you with compassion, I’ll also help you look honestly at the patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that may be keeping you stuck.
Working With Individuals
I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, self-esteem, boundaries, communication, life transitions, and feeling disconnected from themselves. I especially enjoy working with people who tend to overthink, people-please, avoid conflict, or have difficulty expressing what they really need and want.
Together, we’ll work toward understanding why you respond to situations the way you do, where those patterns come from, and what you can do differently. My goal isn’t simply for you to feel better in the moment, but to develop a deeper understanding of yourself and feel more confident navigating your life and relationships.
Working With Couples
Relationships can bring out both our greatest strengths and our most difficult patterns. I work with couples experiencing communication problems, recurring conflict, resentment, emotional disconnection, or difficulty understanding one another.
Couples therapy isn’t about determining who is right or wrong. Instead, I help couples slow down their patterns of interaction, understand what is happening underneath the conflict, and learn how to communicate in ways that allow both partners to feel heard and respected.
We’ll work on creating more connection while also maintaining individuality, boundaries, and a healthy sense of self within the relationship.
My Approach
My approach is integrative and tailored to you. I draw from CBT, psychodynamic therapy, IFS-informed approaches, Gestalt, Reality Therapy, humanistic, and trauma-informed perspectives depending on what will be most helpful.
I don’t believe therapy should feel stiff, clinical, or like you’re simply talking to someone who is taking notes. Therapy is a collaborative process. We can have difficult conversations, challenge each other, sit with uncomfortable feelings—and laugh along the way.
You don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. That’s what we’re here to work on.
My Background
I earned my BA in Psychology from Queens College, City University of New York, in 2016. After graduating, I spent several years working in nonprofit leadership, where I developed a strong interest in helping people navigate challenges, relationships, and life transitions.
That experience ultimately led me to make a career shift into mental health. I went on to earn my MA in Mental Health Counseling from Hofstra University in 2022.
I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York State, licensed through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) since July 2026.
My background in both mental health and nonprofit leadership has shaped the way I work with clients today. I bring a practical, collaborative perspective to therapy and believe that meaningful change comes from understanding both where we’ve been and where we want to go.
