Shelley Akerman

Shelley Akerman is a licensed professional counselor in Georgia with 11 years of experience. She began her work after earning a master’s degree and has worked in both outpatient and hospital settings. Shelley aims to make therapy feel down-to-earth and approachable for people seeking help with life’s challenges.

Her style is friendly and relaxed. She prioritizes listening and creating a space where people feel respected and accepted. Sessions focus on practical steps and creative ideas that clients can try between meetings. Shelley often helps people tackle stress, anxiety, anger, grief, depression, and relationship concerns.

Shelley uses straightforward methods drawn from client-centered work, cognitive behavioral ideas, and mindfulness practices. She guides people to notice patterns, test small changes, and build daily habits that support emotional balance. Motivational interviewing and narrative work also inform how she helps clients clarify goals and rewrite unhelpful stories about themselves.

She has worked with a wide age range and with many different backgrounds and life situations. That experience informs her flexible approach to common problems like parenting strain, caregiving stress, body image, addiction, and coping with illness. Shelley emphasizes strengths and practical coping skills when worries feel overwhelming.

People who want a conversational, goal-oriented therapist often find her approach useful. Shelley aims to help clients identify realistic next steps and feel more capable managing emotions and relationships. She encourages collaboration and keeps the pace suited to each person’s needs.

How her approaches shape online therapy

Client-centered work puts the person’s experience first and emphasizes empathy and active listening. It helps when someone needs a steady, accepting presence while they talk through difficult feelings or relationship pain.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and trying practical experiments to change them. It can be helpful for anxiety, anger, depression, and learning specific coping skills.

Mindfulness therapy encourages noticing thoughts and body sensations without immediate reaction. This practice can reduce reactivity and support better emotional control during stressful moments.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Shelley will work with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and personal preferences. That collaboration includes checking what feels helpful and adjusting the plan over time.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, such as fitting a session into a lunch break or avoiding travel time. It can also allow for quieter check-ins when bandwidth or camera use is a concern. Specific session formats are not listed here, so confirm current options before booking. The focus is on practical work that translates into everyday routines and skills.