01 · Who Shelly works with

Shelly works with addictions, relationship issues and intimacy-related issues

Shelly lists 16 specialisms and 21 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.

I’m a licensed therapist in Florida with over 15 years of experience helping clients with stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, and parenting issues. I work with individuals and couples to build stronger, healthier relationships by focusing on trust, communication, and emotional connection.

As a Christian, I believe in providing a compassionate, nonjudgmental space for healing and growth. I use a range of therapeutic approaches, including CBT, trauma-focused therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing, to support each client's unique path toward change.

I have worked with clients from diverse backgrounds, helping them address depression, anxiety, trauma, domestic violence, and relationship issues. My goal is to empower you to overcome negative thinking patterns and move toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, movies, bowling, and time with family and friends. I'm here to support and guide you, meeting you where you are and helping you reach where you want to be.

Quote: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

DISCLAIMER: BetterHelp does not provide written documentation or letters for any reason, including legal matters, workplace grievances, court proceedings, disability claims, custody matters, emotional support animal requests, or other third-party purposes. As your therapist, my role is to support your mental health and emotional well-being within the scope of therapeutic services provided on the platform.

FLORIDA BOARD TELEHEALTH REQUIREMENTS: The Florida mental health licensing board requires video sessions instead of phone sessions for telehealth services to ensure client safety, proper assessment, and verification of identity. Here are some key reasons behind this requirement: 1. Standard of Care – Video sessions allow therapists to observe nonverbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, and overall demeanor, which are critical for accurate assessment and effective treatment. 2. Client Identification & Security – Video sessions help verify that the therapist is speaking with the correct client, reducing risks related to identity fraud or unauthorized individuals participating in therapy. 3. Ethical & Legal Considerations – Florida law requires licensed mental health professionals to maintain appropriate documentation and standards of care comparable to in-person therapy, which video conferencing helps facilitate more effectively than phone calls. 4. Crisis Management – In case of a crisis or emergency, a video session allows the therapist to assess the client’s environment, emotional state, and potential risks, providing better support and intervention if needed.

Shelly Mentus, on the BetterHelp listing · read 10 Oct 2026

03 · How Shelly works

The 10 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.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

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.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

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.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

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.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

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

4 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 decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 15 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “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

LMHC

Licensed in

Florida

Licence

FL LMHC MH23899

Licence number

MH23899

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1942738513

Years in practice

15

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 10 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.