Shelley Akerman , LPC

Shelley Akerman is a Georgia-based Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 11 years of clinical experience helping people across the lifespan. She earned her master’s degree from Mercer University in Atlanta, GA in 2013 and has provided therapy in both outpatient and hospital settings. Shelley has worked with clients as young as four and as old as 92, representing a wide range of cultural, racial, gender, sexual, political, and spiritual backgrounds.

Shelley’s clinical experience spans depression, grief, low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma and abuse, relationship conflict, psychosis, self-harm, domestic violence, and addiction. Her approach is practical and creative, focused on finding solutions that fit each person’s life. She values the importance of having a therapeutic relationship that feels supportive and accepting, a perspective informed by her own experience with therapy.

Her counseling style is down-to-earth, laid back, and friendly, and she works collaboratively to help clients identify goals and build skills. Shelley emphasizes strengths and potential while offering concrete strategies for coping and growth. She welcomes international clients and is committed to guiding people through life’s challenges toward healthier, more fulfilling ways of living.

Approaches That Guide Online Care

Shelley frequently uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in her work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on building a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship in which the client’s perspectives and goals lead the process - it helps when people need empathy, validation, and space to explore feelings and values. CBT is a skills-based approach that looks at patterns of thinking and behavior, teaching practical strategies to manage anxiety, depression, and other distressing symptoms.

She also integrates Mindfulness Therapy to help clients develop present-moment awareness and self-regulation skills, which can be useful for stress, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms. Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey - Shelley collaborates with each person to choose and adapt methods based on their needs, goals, and preferences so therapy feels tailored and relevant.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, reach support from different locations, and continue care in ways that suit each client’s routine and comfort level.