- Guilt and shame
- Communication issues
- Self esteem
About Shelly
Shelly McNulty is a Connecticut licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 30 years of professional experience. She works with adults who are carrying heavy feelings such as stress, anxiety, depression, and struggles around self-esteem. Shelly also helps people who are facing relationship problems, trauma or abuse, and concerns about motivation and confidence.
She approaches each person as the expert on their own life and looks for strengths to build on. In sessions she listens for the practical patterns that keep someone stuck and helps them practice different ways of responding. Conversations are straightforward and focus on steps the client can try between meetings.
Shelly addresses issues like communication problems, loneliness, social anxiety, life purpose, and questions about forgiveness or guilt and shame. She offers a plainspoken way to talk through what happened and what it means now, without moralizing. The work often includes clarifying values, testing new behaviors, and noticing how thoughts and actions influence mood.
Her long experience includes many types of clinical settings, which she draws on to help people navigate setbacks and build steady routines. Sessions are practical and paced to the client's needs. She asks about what goals matter most and then helps people try manageable steps toward those goals.
To begin, Shelly asks new clients to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session. She uses a subscription model for sessions that can be canceled at any time, and fees vary with location.
Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions work
Evidence-based therapeutic techniques often focus on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. One common approach looks at unhelpful thinking patterns and practices alternative ways of thinking and behaving to reduce anxiety and low mood. This helps with day-to-day stress, social anxiety, and depressive symptoms.Another useful approach emphasizes skills and repetition - trying small changes, noticing what works, and building on those steps. That method can be helpful for improving communication, bolstering confidence, and managing reactions tied to guilt and shame.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each client to identify goals, try methods that match those goals, and adjust based on what feels most helpful. This is a cooperative process rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.
If you are considering online sessions, confirm the specific session formats that are currently offered before you book. Many people find online care helps fit meetings into a busy week, makes it easier to keep regular appointments, and allows for shorter check-ins when needed. Talk with the therapist during the matching step about how you want to structure sessions so they fit into your day-to-day life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Connecticut
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
Shelly works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, and low self-esteem. She also addresses related areas such as communication problems, loneliness, social anxiety, life purpose, forgiveness, and guilt and shame.
How does she approach guilt and shame in sessions?
She treats guilt and shame as understandable responses and helps people talk through what happened and what it means now. The focus is on noticing patterns, testing different responses, and practicing steps between sessions.
What experience does she bring to therapy?
She has 30 years of professional experience across a range of clinical settings and draws on that background to guide practical, paced work. Her experience includes helping people with motivation, confidence, and recovery after trauma.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, licensed in Connecticut. Her practice is based in Connecticut.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients. Prospective clients should confirm any location-related details before booking.
What session formats does she offer?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking so you know whether video, phone, or other formats are available.
How does payment and cost work?
Costs vary with location, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Confirm current pricing details when you complete the matching process.
How do I get started with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session. That begins the process of planning your initial appointment.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.