Therapist in Sacramento, California Shelly Messenger, Therapist

Welcome and congratulations for taking this first step on your journey to change and growth! My name is Shelly and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I became a Social Worker because I am passionate about helping people. I became a therapist because I believe in the healing power of conversation, allowing me the privilege to help people overcome obstacles to being joyful, healthy, and connected. I believe we all carry within us the resources we need to enjoy life in a realistic and authentic way. As a therapist, I help people utilize their thinking, speaking and actions to tap into the present moment and move towards greater health and wellness.

I have experience working with culturally diverse populations of people with treatment in both outpatient and inpatient settings, and dealing with disorders such as anxiety, depression, grief and loss and trauma disorders, such as PTSD and Adjustment Disorder. I engage in relaxed, interpersonal dialogue that is focused on engagement and development of rapport. I have a genuine curiosity and interest in people and openly acknowledge the desire and need to learn about you FROM you. As a therapist, I see myself as a guide with a client-centered approach in which I meet clients where they are at and serve as a partner in the change process.

My biggest strength is the experience I have, working for many years in different aspects of social work and counseling. From my experience I have developed an understanding of many medical and mental health problems and various modalities of treatment, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (which translates to: I believe that your underlying thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the world around you affect how you feel emotionally, which in turn affects how you behave and how well you function) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (what concrete tools can I use to manage my anxiety, mood instability and relationship problems). I also routinely incorporate techniques such as motivational interviewing (what makes me want to change and how do I do it) as well as cognitive restructuring (how do I change how I think so I can feel better).