01 · Who Shelly works with

Shelly works with addictions, relationship issues and self esteem

Shelly lists 5 specialisms and 9 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Shelly chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Shelly's own words

What Shelly says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like you've lost sight of who you are outside of everyone else's needs? You're not alone - and you don't have to figure it out alone either. As a licensed therapist in Texas with a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and pursuing a Doctorate in Community Care and Counseling, I specialize in working with people navigating anxiety, addiction and recovery, relationship patterns, and seasons of personal reinvention. Whether you're in the middle of a major life transition, working through the weight of past experiences, or simply trying to understand yourself better, this is a space where all of that is welcome. My approach is warm and direct. I'll meet you with genuine empathy, and I'll also gently challenge you when I think it serves your growth. Sessions aren't one-size-fits-all - we'll work together in a way that fits your pace, your personality, and your goals. My training includes Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Focused CBT, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and addiction counseling, so we have a lot of tools to draw from depending on what you need. I'm particularly passionate about creating a faith-sensitive environment where your spirituality isn't set aside - it can be part of your healing if that's meaningful to you. I also bring a personal and professional appreciation for cross-cultural experiences and the unique pressures of navigating identity, belonging, and community expectations. Having grown up as a missionary kid in East Asia and worked extensively with missionaries and international workers, I understand what it means to live between worlds. Some of the areas I most commonly support clients through include social anxiety, self-esteem, communication and boundary-setting, substance use challenges, and learning to release what's outside your control. If you're in a season of asking "Who am I, and what do I actually want?" - that's some of my favorite work. I believe healing happens in relationship, and I'm committed to walking alongside you with consistency, honesty, and care. Let's explore what's possible together.

Shelly Hendley, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Shelly works

The 6 approaches Shelly lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Shelly lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Shelly's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Shelly runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Shelly practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Shelly's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Shelly at this point.

2. Naming Shelly specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Shelly is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Shelly.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

2 questions worth asking Shelly

Built from what Shelly actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Shelly's - Shelly has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LPC

Licensed in

Texas

Licence

TX LPC 93112

Licence number

93112

Licence expires

31 Dec 2026

NPI

1871351924

Years in practice

3

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Shelly's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Shelly. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.