Shelley M. Samuels
she/her
- Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
LPCC 6947
Master of Science, Counseling
Restarting your life? Feeling directionless or immobilized by life’s challenges? Are you feeling lost, overwhelmed, isolated? Do you feel stuck in the past as you try to recover and learn from previous relationships? Are you concerned about a lack of motivation in your life? Or maybe you think you are powerless, too old, too young, too different, or low energy?
Scary emotions are often part of the process of change. As a compassionate, supportive, experienced, and trustworthy therapist and guide, I can help. I specialize in life transitions, whether you are leaving a long-term relationship, facing career changes, or the loss of a partner.
I offer a supportive sounding board as you invite change into your life such as:
• Trusting yourself in intimate relationships
• Identifying your right work
• Healing from old wounds
• Learning to put yourself first
Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain. First steps are hard, but change is possible. Let me help you navigate your journey!
I am an eclectic, empathetic, creative therapist interested in empowering individuals to move through barriers to achieving sustainable, content lives. Influenced by feminist therapy, I strive to work collaboratively with my clients while viewing gender role socialization as crucial to my worldview. Since I deeply value a connection to the earth and appreciate the healing power of nature, I incorporate elements of ecotherapy into my practice. I believe that respect for the earth includes honoring all species, which I express as a vegan and animal rights advocate. I particularly enjoy working with creative types and often incorporate expressive arts, film, and literature into my psychotherapy practice. I believe strongly in self-reflection and discussing values, including ethics and spirituality, while respecting cultural differences.
I have a master’s degree in clinical and career counseling and completed undergraduate work in women studies, creative writing, and religious studies. My time in human resources training managers contributed to my understanding of workplace culture. I spent over seven years doing career counseling, coaching college students, baby boomers, and job seekers. I am an MBTI (Myers-Briggs) certified practitioner, able to administer and interpret MBTI tests. I am a California Certified Domestic Violence Advocate with two years of direct experience counseling domestic violence survivors. At the Pacific Center in Berkeley, I provided therapy to a queer clientele. I value group therapy and completed the group therapy training program at the Psychotherapy Institute in 2018.
I am an eclectic, values-driven therapist who incorporates creative modalities like art, writing, ecotherapy, and dream interpretation along with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) ), EMDR, and mindfulness (MSBR) into my work. I offer a warm, supportive environment to help individuals explore deep trauma as well as the ordinary issues that impact daily life and long-term goals. I am passionate and intuitive, sometimes interactive, and I bring my true self to my practice. I offer wisdom based on my varied life experience and an affinity for political-social justice. Feminism, my queer community, and my ethical vegan environmentalist perspective all inform my work. I strive to inspire connection through nature.
My specialties include:
• Eco-therapy; including eco-walks (therapy outdoors)
• LGBTQQ issues, identity, and gender transitions
• Working through grief and loss
• Healing survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault
• Positive aging
• Body image
• Building long-term relationships
• Working with chronic pain
• Life transitions, including career issues, and coaching
I value compassion, honesty, creativity, spiritual respect, gratitude, and inner nourishment in whatever forms they may take. I believe in possibility, channeling optimism, and fostering hope. I honor difference. We can always learn from the experiences of others. I believe that the natural world is a gift to us. We are guardians of nature, yet nature can help us; plants and animals can guide us to our inner truths. I believe that we are all artists and architects of our own identities and creativity is innate. I recognize that confronting one’s inner demons might be excruciatingly painful but can also be profoundly healing. I view work as an integral part of a person’s values. I believe we each have our own stories and need to share them to be heard. I think that therapy is neither magic nor science, but believe therapy has the potential to be magical and transformative.
- Young Adult: 18-25
- Adults: 25-65
- Seniors: 65+
- Individuals
- Persons in Polyamorous Relationships
- Groups
- Artists
- LGBTQIAA+ persons
- Persons in Kink/BDSM Communities
- Persons in Polyamorous Relationships
- Persons Recovering from Domestic Violence
- Persons Recovering from Traumatic Events/Experiences
- Persons Struggling with/Recovering from Addiction
- Persons with Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse
- Persons with Histories of Physical or Emotional Abuse
- Persons with Disabilities
Vegan Animal Rights Advocates
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Ecotherapy
- EMDR
- Expressive Arts Therapy
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
- Other:
Career Counseling, MBTI (Myers-Briggs) certified, Dream Work
I believe that movement is possible! Change may seem daunting and sustaining the motivation to progress can be even more challenging as we navigate uncertainty and obstacles along the path. I enjoy encouraging the foundation for change in my work with clients.
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
$165
$75-$125
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1240 Powell Street, Suite 2C, Emeryville, CA 94608
**available for Teletherapy via video platforms/telephone**
- Monday Afternoon
- Tuesday Afternoon
- Tuesday Evening
- Wednesday Morning
- Wednesday Afternoon
- Wednesday Evening
- Thursday Morning
- Thursday Afternoon
- Thursday Evening
- Friday Afternoon
- Saturday Afternoon
Please contact me for current availability. *** For Telemedicine, additional days/times may be available.
04/16/2020