Shelley Akerman, LPC

Shelley Akerman is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Georgia with over 11 years of clinical experience. She began her career after earning a master's degree and has worked in both outpatient and hospital settings. Shelley takes a calm, down-to-earth approach and focuses on practical steps clients can use day to day.

Shelley uses Client-Centered Therapy to build a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Mindfulness and Motivational Interviewing techniques are woven into sessions to support motivation, acceptance, and clearer decision making.

People come to Shelley for many reasons, including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and parenting concerns, grief, addictions, ADHD, and self-esteem struggles. She also works with issues such as chronic illness, caregiver stress, body image, codependency, and communication problems. Shelley pays attention to the everyday habits and thoughts that keep problems going and helps people practice different ways of responding.

Her style is friendly and informal. Sessions are collaborative and focused on realistic goals. Clients can expect down-to-earth conversation, brainstorming of practical strategies, and steps to try between meetings.

Shelley welcomes clients from diverse backgrounds and identities. If you want straightforward support to manage stress, change unhelpful patterns, or cope with life transitions, she aims to help you find workable solutions and build on your strengths.

How Shelley Uses Practical Approaches Online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on building a respectful, accepting relationship where the client sets the pace and topics. This approach helps when someone needs a calm, nonjudgmental space to sort through feelings and decisions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and everyday habits and how they affect mood and behavior. It involves identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and practicing new responses, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress management.

Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to the present moment and to automatic reactions. Learning simple mindfulness practices can reduce rumination and improve emotional regulation during stressful times.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shelley will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That might mean focusing on thought records and behavioral experiments one week, and on mindful awareness and values-based choices the next.

Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so confirm current online options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by reducing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, or accommodating people who prefer not to be on camera. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT, Client-Centered methods, and mindfulness exercises to remote settings so the work remains practical and goal oriented.