About
About Shelley, and Why Sage Therapy?About Shelley
I believe that not all those who wander are lost. Like Alice, lost in the magical labyrinth of Wonderland, my path as a psychotherapist has not been linear. When the Cheshire cat asks Alice where she is going, she replies that she doesn’t care. The grinning kitty replies it doesn’t matter much which way you go then. I felt as directionless as Alice for much of my life (though I really like cats and trees!).
Even as a young girl I explored paths that were winding and circuitous. I dabbled. I followed my passions. I never let anyone tell me what to do. I was curious, rebellious and creative– totally impractical. My vision might have been the vision for that month, that year or just that day.
Until one day when I needed a real job and woke up in a government human resources role that was certainly not me. I was as out of place as a tall, pointy triangle in a small, cube-shaped box.
Since I view work as an integral expression of a person’s values, I struggled with job dissatisfaction, and working with a career counselor, began to focus on how to integrate my creativity and numerous interests with satisfying work. I considered many vocations along the way, including everything from botanical fieldwork, to business, to writing, to working as an animal behaviorist, film director, or ethics specialist.
I cared deeply about people and communication, but never considered therapy, an obvious melding of my interests.
As a career coach, I learned that I liked the aspects of coaching, consulting, and counseling that drew upon my creativity and empathy to help others help themselves. I never thought of myself as a therapist, though I often worked with people experiencing emotional hardships in their professional and personal lives.
Over time, I began to understand just how important it was to recognize the role of emotion in my clients’ lives. So, I expanded my goals towards graduate school and attaining clinical licensure to be able to fully support my clients in their career and life goals.
This meaningful journey has included working at W.O.M.A.N., Inc., where I counseled numerous domestic violence survivors, providing support to clients enmeshed in violent relationships, struggling to leave abusive relationships, or recover after separation. Working with these clients seemed like a natural evolution of my feminist roots, incorporating gender issues and empowering survivors, particularly women.
I completed an additional year as an intern at The Pacific Center for Human Growth, focusing on working with the queer community.
I continue to work with clients from each of these settings as I expand my private practice as a member of the Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy community, blending a wide variety of areas into my work, while continuing to pursue advanced training as an Associate. Finally in a career that integrates many of my interests and passions, I no longer feel like I am in the wrong box. Instead, I feel privileged to be engaged in such vital, meaningful work.
Why Sage Therapy?
In my wonderings, I spent time exploring the California deserts, particularly the Mojave, in Death Valley. I developed a deep connection to the desert environment.
I love the desert’s vastness, infinite mountain vistas, open skies, quiet, and the way the subtle colors of the land reflect light and warmth. As someone who appreciates plant life, I particularly was drawn to the vegetation that flourished in the challenging desert ecology.
