Shelly Sanders , LCSW

Shelly Sanders is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Idaho with eight years of experience working as a therapist and roughly thirteen years in mental health settings overall. She has worked with children, adolescents, and adults, addressing a broad range of concerns such as depression, anxiety, communication challenges, parenting issues, anger management, oppositional defiant disorder, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder in children.

Her style is warm, interactive, and client-centered - she tailors care to the individual needs of each person she sees. Shelly aims to treat clients with respect, compassion, and understanding while collaborating on goals and plans. She uses a variety of therapeutic tools to meet different needs, including play therapy for younger clients, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for emotional and behavioral regulation, choice theory and solution-focused strategies for goal-oriented work, and bilateral stimulation or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) when appropriate.

Shelly works with clients to create treatment plans that are attainable, specific to their circumstances, and time-sensitive. Her primary goal is to provide strong support and encouragement through challenging times, acknowledging that seeking help is a courageous step and offering steady guidance along the way.

Online Approaches Rooted in Attachment and Skill-Building

Client-centered therapy focuses on creating a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where the client leads the pace and topics of work - it helps people gain insight, build self-awareness, and feel heard. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured approach that identifies patterns of thought and behavior, then teaches practical strategies to manage symptoms like anxiety, depression, and stress. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) uses bilateral stimulation alongside guided recall to process traumatic memories when appropriate for the client.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Shelly will collaborate with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers practical flexibility - sessions can occur by video call, over the phone, via live chat, or through text-based messaging to fit different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to access consistent care from home or other convenient locations, support continuity during life transitions, and allow clients to choose the format that feels most effective for their work with a therapist.