Shelby Willoughby
Shelby is a Licensed Master of Social worker in both Maryland and New York. She provides her services predominately through individual therapy but believes in bringing in chosen family systems to promote healing in the form of couples and family therapy. She primarily uses strength based/solution focused interventions, attachment and relational theories, and experiential therapy.
Shelby’s passion and strengths are working with the LGBTQIA+ community, eating disorders, self-discovery, anxiety, depression, grief, and relational and social difficulties. She enjoys working with individuals who identify in struggling with life adjustments and social connectedness.
Shelby’s experience is working with LQBTQIA+, eating disorders, trauma, anxiety, and grief. She firmly believes that understanding the body’s response to life experiences and being informed on how your body functions in times of stress is the basis of reforming and creating an authentic self. Shelby has over 5 years of experience working with adults and teens who have struggled with binge eating, purging, anorexia, orthorexia, excessive exercise, OSFED, ARFID and body image in settings like partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient. Shelby also completes evaluations to determine if you or your loved one is in need of more intensive/supportive eating disorder services. Her passion is to ensure that patients are supported, connected, and in the right level of treatment for recovery.
Shelby also offers bariatric evaluations that are required for the surgical process. She offers this service to help determine readiness, address any concerns for underlying eating disorder behavior, pre/post therapeutic support, and explore options outside of surgery. She also works with your current team to help support this journey.
As a social worker and trauma-educated therapist, Shelby believes it is imperative to utilize different modalities to create a safe, supportive, and trauma-aware space to begin healing. Shelby collaborates with teens, adults, and families to help build supportive communication, establish reconnection, problem solve, and make positive decisions. She is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy to continue to assist patients’ needs. She is also trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
She received her Bachelor of Science in psychology, human services, and political science from Elmira College and her MSW from Keuka College. During her years of work, she has gained significant experience in outpatient, partial hospitalization, and substance abuse clinic settings.
