Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an evidence-based treatment created especially for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Their parents and caregivers are also involved in the process. TF-CBT has been proven to help with a wide variety of emotional and behavioral difficulties. 

Learn more at tfcbt.org

dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

DBT is a cognitive behavioral evidence-based treatment originally created to treat chronically suicidal people with borderline personality disorder. It is now considered the gold standard treatment for this population. DBT has also been shown to help people with substance dependence, depression, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  There are four components of DBT: skills training group, individual treatment, DBT phone coaching, and consultation team. In DBT, you learn skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. 

Learn more

Individual Therapy

When working with individuals, Shelley's goal is to provide space for you to share your story and reflect on your life in a way that feels safe. Your work with Shelley is collaborative and is guided by your unique needs and often promotes self-advocacy, empowerment and mind/body wellness.  Individual therapy can help you identify the beliefs and behaviors that are preventing you from living peaceful, fulfilling lives.  Together, you and Shelley will explore new and different ways of thinking so that your authentic self can emerge and thrive in a more rewarding way. Shelley works with ages 10 and up in individual and family therapy.

Couple's therapy

Healthy relationships are special and rewarding. They are also delicate and require ongoing care.  Very often couples get caught up in patterns of negative interactions, having the same fights over and over, which can lead to a disconnect.  You may become frustrated and feel alone in the relationship.  Couple’s therapy will help you and your partner identify the problematic interactions. It provides a safe environment for working through difficulties, and allows for the exploration of unmet needs and gain new and powerful insight into what the contributing factors are.  You will gain understanding of yourself and your partner, the communication patterns, and new ways to promote healing and new ways to interact.

Family Therapy

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce distress and conflict by improving the systems of interactions between family members. One of Shelley's favorite things about family therapy is that as an LMFT, there is not “a” person in the family that is the “problem", or the identified patient.  Shelley strives to have all family members (affected by the problem) in the room, and yet and understanding and flexible when that is not always possible or necessary. This type of therapy views problems as patterns or systems that need adjusting, as opposed to viewing problems as residing in the person, which is why family therapy is often referred to as a “strengths based treatment.” Shelley works with ages 10 and up in individual and family therapy.

Co-parenting with confidence

The main focus of co-parenting sessions at TSWS is to learn parenting skills relevant to improving the child/children’s functioning. We will not discuss interpersonal difficulties between the parents. The therapists will not take sides, but they will focus on the best interest of the child/children. The sessions will center on how to move forward in the present and future, and not get stuck in the past. The point is not to determine a winner or loser but to improve cohesion between the parents for the child/children’s best interest.

Learn more