Holistic Jungian therapist specializing in trauma and relationships
After being successful for 17 years in corporate America, I made the drastic decision to change careers and follow my passion. This lead to my attending graduate school 19 years ago and obtaining my Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. I am licensed in the state of Minnesota as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and have worked in the field of mental health for the past 15+ years.
I have had the privilege of providing therapy to individuals, couples, and families – adolescents and adults struggling with mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, attachment, relationship issues, and life transitions. In addition, I have experience in crisis risk assessment, suicide ideation, training coping skills, and providing psycho-education.
I have experience providing therapeutic services to individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds in both urban and rural settings. This has included providing mental health services to homeless young adults in a large urban setting, doing in-home family counseling in a rural community, providing family and individual therapy in a suburban mental health clinic, and assessing suicide risk in a hospital emergency department. What I have found is at the heart of all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, social status, gender identity, or sexual orientation is the desire to live their best lives.
I believe we are all experts on ourselves. We may not fully understand why we feel the way we do, what our next steps should be, or how to deal with a particular situation. I believe my role as a therapist is to come along side whoever I am working with to help them in discovering the answers to these questions and assisting them in reaching their goals. I do this by listening, really listening, so I can truly understand. I think the relationship between the therapist and individual is of primary importance. Therapy should be a partnership between the client and therapist. There has to be trust in the relationship. My goal is to provide a safe and non-judgmental place where each person feels heard, understood, supported, and helped.
I believe each person is multi-dimensional with his or her own reasons for seeking out help. I work towards customizing my therapy for the individual and their particular needs. I am trained in and pull from several different therapeutic models; Cognitive Behavior, Dialectical Behavior, Solution Focused, Psychodynamic, Trauma Focused, and Mindfulness among other modalities. Again, I believe the relationship between therapist and individual is crucial to the success of any therapeutic model.
In addition to my training and education in the mental health field I bring life experience and humor to the work I do with individuals. I believe humor is one of our greatest resources. I personally have experienced challenges and transitions in my own life. My philosophy is that life is like floating down a river on a raft. Sometimes the river is calm and the sun is shining down on us while we just bask in the rays. What we don’t know is what is around the next bend in the river. We may be facing rocks, rapids, and turbulence. The goal is to just stay on the raft no matter what is coming next.
Thank you for taking the time to read my profile. If I sound like the type of counselor/therapist you are looking for, I would love to work with you. If not, it is my hope that you find the best fit to address your needs.
Licensed · Professional · Cancel Anytime
After 17 years in corporate America, Shelly Foster changed careers to follow a long-standing passion for clinical social work. She attended graduate school 19 years ago and earned a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. She is licensed in Minnesota as an independent clinical social worker and brings 11 years of professional therapy experience.
Shelly has provided therapy to individuals, couples, and families, working with adolescents and adults who face mood disorders, anxiety, trauma and abuse, family conflict, attachment and relationship issues, and life transitions. Her clinical experience also includes crisis risk assessment, addressing suicidal thoughts, teaching coping skills, and offering psychoeducation.
Her work has spanned a variety of settings and communities, serving people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds in both urban and rural environments. This has included providing mental health services to homeless young adults in a large urban area, delivering in-home family counseling in a rural community, offering family and individual therapy in a suburban clinic, and assessing suicide risk in a hospital emergency department. Through these roles she has seen a consistent desire among people – regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, social status, gender identity, or sexual orientation – to live their best lives.
Shelly approaches therapy with the belief that each person is the expert on their own life. Her role is to come alongside clients to help them discover their answers and move toward their goals. She emphasizes careful, attentive listening and views therapy as a collaborative partnership that requires trust. Her aim is to create a safe, non-judgmental space where clients feel heard, understood, supported, and helped.
Therapy is customized to meet each person’s unique needs. Shelly is trained in and draws from multiple therapeutic models, including cognitive behavioral approaches, dialectical behavior methods, solution focused therapy, psychodynamic work, trauma focused techniques, and mindfulness practices. She believes that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is central to the effectiveness of any chosen approach.
In addition to formal training, Shelly brings life experience and a sense of humor to her work, viewing humor as a valuable resource. She has faced her own challenges and transitions, and often uses the metaphor of life as a raft on a river – sometimes the water is calm and sometimes there are rocks and rapids, but the goal is to stay on the raft no matter what lies around the next bend.
If Shelly sounds like the kind of counselor a person is seeking, she would welcome the opportunity to work together. If not, she hopes the individual finds the best fit to address their needs.
Many people ask whether therapy delivered online can truly help. For common concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, or adapting to life changes, online therapy has been shown to be comparable in effectiveness to traditional in-person sessions for most situations.
One of the main benefits is flexibility – clients can connect in the format that fits them best, whether by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or in-app messaging. This variety makes it easier to incorporate therapy into a busy schedule.
Licensed professionals conduct online sessions, and clients may choose to switch therapists if they feel a different fit would be better. For many people seeking support with everyday mental health concerns, online therapy offers an accessible and effective option.
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