Shelly Flachs, LCSW

Licensed in Illinois · 12 years in practice

Shelly Flachs is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years of experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life changes.

License and registration

LCSW, Illinois: 149.017053 · expires November 2027
LCSW, Maine: LC15258 · expires April 2027
LCSW, Missouri: 2015011135 · expires September 2026
LISW, Iowa: 114010 · expires December 2026
NPI: 1114288404 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 12
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Shelly

Shelly Flachs is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 12 years of experience helping people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and major life changes. She practices in Illinois and uses practical, skills-based methods to help clients move forward. Her approach is collaborative and respectful of each person's story.

Shelly blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Emotionally-Focused and Mindfulness approaches to address emotions and daily habits. Sessions often focus on concrete tools - breaking problems into manageable steps, testing new behaviors, and practicing skills between appointments.

Background and approach

She also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify goals and stay engaged with change. Many clients come with worries about mood disorders, addiction, grief, parenting strain, or work and career stress. Shelly pays attention to patterns that keep people stuck, such as avoidance, communication problems, or difficulty with boundaries.

She helps people identify small, realistic changes they can try right away. Sessions are paced to match the person’s needs. Some people want short-term coaching around a life transition.

Others prefer ongoing therapy for deeper issues like trauma or chronic anxiety. Shelly works to make each plan practical and focused on what the person wants to achieve. People who value straightforward conversation and clear tools tend to do well with her style.

She speaks English and offers video, phone, chat, and text sessions. Her background in social work guides her toward solutions that fit a person’s daily life and responsibilities.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Shelly lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Bipolar disorder
Depression
Addictions
LGBT
Relationship issues
Family conflicts
Intimacy-related issues
Eating disorders
Sleeping disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Coping with life changes
Coaching
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
Abandonment
Aging and geriatric issues
Antisocial personality
Attachment issues
Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Avoidant personality
Body image
Caregiver issues and stress
Chronic pain, illness, and disability
Codependency
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Control issues
Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
Dependent personality
Dissociation
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Drug and alcohol addiction
Eating and food-related issues
Emptiness
Family of origin issues
Fertility issues
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Hoarding
Intellectual disability
Isolation / loneliness
Jealousy
Life purpose
Mood disorders
Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Paranoia
Personality disorders
Phobias
Postpartum depression
Post-traumatic stress
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Self-harm
Self-love
Sexual assault and abuse
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Workplace issues

Approaches Shelly names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

Evidence-informed approaches for online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. It helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and patterns that keep people stuck. Emotionally-Focused Therapy looks at how emotions shape relationships and personal reactions, helping people name feelings and respond differently. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce overwhelm and improve focus. Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will review your goals and preferences and then suggest a mix of methods that fit your needs. This is a collaborative process - adjustments can be made as you try different techniques and see what helps. Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls let you use visual cues and longer sessions for deeper work. Phone sessions require less bandwidth and can fit into a break at work. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, coaching between sessions, or when writing out thoughts feels easier. Together these options make it simpler to keep therapy consistent around a busy life.

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Questions people ask

What concerns can be addressed in sessions?

She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, eating and sleeping problems, parenting strain, ADHD, and many related concerns.

What is the therapy style like?

Therapy emphasizes practical skills from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, emotion-focused work, mindfulness, DBT-informed strategies, and Motivational Interviewing to help people change patterns and reach goals.

How much experience does this clinician have?

Shelly has 12 years of clinical experience working with adults on a wide range of mood, stress, and adjustment concerns.

Where is the therapist licensed and based?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois with credentials listed as IL LCSW and ME LCSW.

Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

Which session formats are available?

Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies by location and therapist availability. Sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are needed to begin therapy?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.

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