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LCSW

Shelly Flachs, LCSW

  • Experience12 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
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About Shelly

Shelly Flachs is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 12 years of clinical experience supporting people through a wide range of life challenges.

Background and approach

She blends evidence-informed methods like cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness with emotion-focused work to help clients manage symptoms such as anxiety, depression, bipolar mood shifts, grief, and the effects of trauma and abuse. Her practice also addresses concerns including addiction, relationship and intimacy issues, stress-related problems, sleep and eating concerns, parenting struggles, career changes, and compassion fatigue.

Working from an approach that emphasizes empowerment and practical skill-building, she tailors sessions to each person’s goals and strengths. Motivational interviewing and dialectical behavior therapy inform her work when clients need help building motivation, regulating emotions, or improving interpersonal effectiveness.

Shelly maintains professional licensure in Illinois and Maine and offers services to people located in Illinois, using a mix of live and text-based formats to fit different schedules and preferences. Her style aims to be respectful and collaborative, helping clients clarify priorities and develop realistic plans for change.

Prospective clients can expect an individualized process that focuses on usable strategies and steady progress rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Many clients benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression, and difficulties with motivation. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers practical skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and relationship effectiveness that can be learned and practiced in sessions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people explore and reorganize emotional responses to deepen understanding of attachment and relational patterns and can be useful for processing grief, trauma reactions, and intimacy-related concerns.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to assess needs, try strategies, and adjust methods based on what supports progress and aligns with client goals and preferences. This kind of flexibility helps tailor treatment to specific concerns such as mood disorders, trauma recovery, ADHD-related challenges, and coping with life changes.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers practical benefits for many people, including easier scheduling, fewer travel barriers, and more consistent access to care. These formats allow licensed professionals to deliver structured interventions and skills coaching while fitting therapy into varied daily routines.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she work with?
Shelly addresses a broad range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, bipolar disorder, depression, addictions, LGBT issues, relationship and intimacy-related problems, and ADHD among others.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her work combines practical skill-building with emotion-focused exploration, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing to match each person's needs.
How much experience does she have?
She brings 12 years of clinical experience working with people across a variety of life challenges and diagnoses.
Where is she licensed and based?
Shelly holds LCSW licensure with Illinois and Maine: IL LCSW 149.017053 and ME LCSW LC15258, and she is located in Illinois.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and scheduling needs.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyTrauma and abuseGriefBipolar disorderDepression

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

12+ years

Licensed

Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Iowa

Languages

English

What Shelly can help with

Shelly Flachs works with clients on stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, bipolar disorder, and depression.

Shelly works with individuals facing various challenges, including depression, anxiety, trauma, abuse, and life-altering situations.

How Shelly approaches therapy

Shelly's clinical approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Shelly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Illinois, with 12 years of clinical experience.