I am L. Elizabeth Shelton, GA LPC 008242, and have been fully licensed since 2012, originally in Virginia and since 2015 in Georgia. My theoretical orientation to therapy is CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) as I believe it is critical to understand how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and drive most of the problems people struggle to overcome. I have had training in a variety of modalities, covering a range of symptoms from anxiety, depression, mania, and psychosis, but the area I continue to gravitate towards is working with trauma. I am a CCTP-I and utilize my training from my certification as well as from TF-CBT and DBT to help individuals work towards overcoming and thriving after surviving traumatic and frightening experiences.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

Clients can expect a pleasant conversation about what brought them to therapy, continuing on to identify therapy goals and discuss expectations and limitations of therapy. I believe that what happens after our session is just as important as what happens in the session. Clients will often have assignments, things to practice or worksheets to review/reinforce what was discussed in session.

What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?

My therapy orientation is cognitive behavior and believe that it's important to have a good connection with my clients before diving into what needs to be addressed. Starting in 2019, during my counseling residency, I have participated in training as well as obtained certifications in therapy modalities, including certifications in A-CRA and CT-R as well as trained in TF-CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based CBT. The needs of the individual client direct which strategies will be most beneficial during therapy.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I strive to create a warm, welcoming, and safe environment for everyone. I believe in helping others to recognize and work to minimize self-judgment and self-criticism thus I model being non-judgmental, positive, and affirming in sessions while acknowledging areas that are creating problems in one's life that need to be addressed to see positive changes.

About Elizabeth Shelton