Shelby Willoughby
Shelby is a Licensed Certified Social Worker in Maryland. She provides her services predominately through individual therapy but believes in bringing in chosen family systems to promote healing and connection. She primarily uses strength based/solution focused interventions, attachment and relational theories, and experiential therapy.
Shelby’s passion and experience is working with LGBTQIA+ community, eating disorders, pregnancy across all stages, elder care and treatment, self-discovery, trauma, anxiety, grief, and relational and social difficulties. She firmly believes that understanding the body’s response to life experiences and being informed on how your body functions throughout the lifespan is the basis of reforming and creating an authentic self. Shelby has a decade 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 is also working towards her AASECT Certification (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists). She can offer assessment, diagnosis, and psychotherapy for individuals who are looking for support in areas relating to sexual concerns. Some topics that could be explored but are not limited to include: sexual dysfunction and function, pleasure, sexual variation, sexuality and disability, chronic illness, sexual trauma and coercion, sexual development across the lifespan, sexual orientation, sexual shame and gender identity. Shelby is under the supervision of AASECT certified supervisors to ensure appropriate care and ethical standards are met. She also works with your current team and makes appropriate referrals when necessary to help support this journey. Shelby provides a neurodivergent and inclusive space to explore your goals and hopes (even if it isn’t clear yet!) for all individuals that may be in mixed structured or ethical non-monogamous/poly relationships, kink and BDSM communities.
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 older teens, adults, and chosen families as needed to help build supportive communication, problem solve, and make positive decisions. She is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy to continue to assist patients’ needs. It can certainly be daunting to reach out for support, and if you have any questions about the tools I can provide, I warmly invite you to connect so we can chat further about your story.
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.
