Shellby Custer, LCSW
Compassionate Narrative-focused therapist for life transitions
Details
| Name | Shellby Custer |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LCSW |
| Based in | Pennsylvania |
| Licensed in | Pennsylvania |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 23 |
About Shellby
Shellby Custer is a licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of experience helping people work through stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She practices Narrative-informed therapy that centers the client's story and looks for patterns that shape daily life and relationships. Shellby aims to help people rebuild self-esteem and find practical ways to cope with change.
She focuses on recovery from abuse and sexual assault, mood and personality concerns, and issues tied to attachment and abandonment.
Background and approach
In sessions she helps clients name painful experiences, make sense of them, and test new ways of responding that fit their values. That practical focus often includes short-term skills and longer-term reflection. Shellby also supports people facing chronic illness, compassion fatigue, and parenting stress.
She pays attention to how past relationships influence present behavior and to challenges like grief, isolation, or seasonal low mood. The work combines listening, storytelling, and concrete strategies to reduce distress. Her methods draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, Attachment-Based ideas for relationship patterns, and mindfulness for building calm amid difficulty.
She frames therapy as collaborative work where the client’s goals guide the path. Shellby practices in Pennsylvania and meets with people in English. She offers a mix of session styles to fit different needs, from real-time conversations to messaging options.
Prospective clients begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling according to therapist availability.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem among the things Shellby works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Internal Family Systems: Listed by Shellby among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Shellby directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Shellby directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Narrative and Attachment-based approaches work online
Shellby uses Narrative Therapy to help people tell and reorganize the story they tell about themselves. That work looks for recurring themes and helps clients try new meanings that reduce shame and increase agency. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship patterns shape current connections; it helps people notice these patterns and practice different ways of relating to others.She often weaves in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools to spot unhelpful thoughts and test small behavioral changes that reduce anxiety or low mood. Together these approaches balance reflection on personal history with practical steps clients can take between sessions. Deciding which approach to emphasize is a team effort - the therapist and client choose methods that fit the client’s goals, needs, and pace.
Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation for deeper discussion, phone calls can work when bandwidth or screen time is limited, and messaging supports short check-ins or ongoing outreach between appointments. These options help fit therapy into work breaks, travel, or busy family days while maintaining a steady therapeutic process.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, self-esteem and relationship challenges, plus issues like grief, addiction, ADHD, and career strain.
What is her therapy style like?
Her work is Narrative-informed and collaborative. She combines story-based work with practical techniques to change thoughts and behaviors.
How much experience does she have?
She brings 23 years of clinical experience to her practice and has worked with a wide range of emotional and life challenges over that time.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in Pennsylvania and practices there.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How does payment or cost work?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to her availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Shellby are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Shellby where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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