Shelly Mohnkern, LCPC, NCC provides clients with a nonjudgmental, empathetic, and safe space to help them improve their quality of life and their greater well-being. She practices from a culturally informed structure, acknowledging social circumstances and the experience of individuals in their everyday interactions. She enjoys working with a diverse range of clients, assisting them in addressing different challenges in their lives, and empowering them to identify a variety of coping skills to take on their difficulties. She enjoys assisting clients overcome relationship issues, trauma, anxiety and depressed mood, among other concerns. She wholeheartedly believes that therapy and the therapeutic relationship she builds with clients provides a space to make healing, self-awareness, and personal growth more attainable.
Shelly is trained in Clinical Counseling and Spiritual Integration. Her use of eclectic approaches enables the client to access all their strengths in order to reflect, acknowledge and achieve set goals in a supported manner. Cognitive behavioral therapy, reality therapy, spirituality and mindfulness techniques are just a few of the theories and practices utilized to encourage and support wellness. Shelly has expertise treating individuals who experience anxiety and depression following life changes, as well as those struggling to integrate their diagnosis with their life in a meaningful manner to make the changes they envision in their lives. She provides individual therapy for adolescents age 16+, adults and seniors. Shelly works with clients who have suffered through job loss, significant health issues, life and social transitions, and living through a pandemic. Shelly has training in working with trauma and practices trauma-informed therapy. Shelly recently completed training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a type of psychotherapy with growing evidence of effectiveness, particularly for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Shelly holds a MS degree in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland. She has worked with a myriad of clients from differing backgrounds, ethnicities, and faith traditions, operating under many different family and relationship models. Shelly has experience working with alternative relationship configurations, including polyamorous, kink, and other non-traditional practices. Shelly sees many LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC clients and actively works on anti-racism and allyship.
Shelly is a native Marylander, and a proud nerd. In her free time, she can often be found attending Live Action Roleplay Games, playing boardgames, or walking her ex-racing Greyhound, Styx. Shelly loves to sing, and when she is able, she sings both on her own, and with small local choirs. Shelly attends several spiritual events a year, from various paths of faith and belief, primarily through affiliation with CUUPs.
