About Shelly
Shelly Sanders is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Idaho who helps people cope with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, anger, ADHD, addictions, relationship and family concerns, grief, and intimacy-related issues. She also supports people struggling with sleep and eating problems, parenting strain, self-esteem, career changes, compassion fatigue, and other life transitions.
Shelly writes plainly and works to make therapy feel straightforward and doable. She uses a warm, interactive style that centers the person in front of her.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on practical steps and clear goals. Shelly aims to match the pace and tools to each person’s needs rather than following a rigid plan. Her approach draws on several methods to fit different kinds of problems.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify thinking patterns and build new coping skills. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Attachment-based ideas help people understand how early relationships affect current connections.
Shelly has nine years of experience as a therapist and additional years working in mental health settings. She blends talk therapy with skills practice and, when appropriate, bilateral stimulation or EMDR techniques for trauma work. The focus is on steps you can try between sessions to see real change.
People who choose her practice can expect clear feedback, practical tools, and a respectful, compassionate professional to help them through difficult times.
How Shelly’s approaches translate to online therapy
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early connections shape current relationships. Online sessions use conversation and guided reflection to notice patterns and try new ways of relating with others. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. In online work this often involves short exercises, thought records, and homework that can be reviewed during video or message sessions.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shelly will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which approaches to prioritize and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction and visual cues. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging can fit quick questions, short skills practice, or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options offer flexibility so therapy can fit work, family, and daily routines.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
Also works with
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- Idaho
- Languages
- English