Shelby Benson, t-LMHC
As a Temporary Licensed Mental Health Counselor (t-LMHC), I enjoy working with children, adolescents, and college-aged young adults as they navigate the many emotions, experiences, and challenges that come with growing and finding their place in the world. I support clients who may be experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss, life transitions, self-esteem concerns, ADHD, autism, or other challenges that can make everyday life feel overwhelming. I especially enjoy working with children, teens, and young adults who may have a hard time expressing their emotions, building confidence, managing big feelings, developing healthy coping skills, navigating relationships and independence, or feeling truly understood by the people around them.
My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and person-centered. I believe meaningful progress begins with feeling safe, heard, accepted, and comfortable enough to be yourself. I work alongside clients and, when appropriate, their families to create goals that feel meaningful and achievable, while building practical skills that fit each client’s unique needs, strengths, personality, and experiences. With children and adolescents, I incorporate play-based and creative techniques to make therapy engaging, approachable, and developmentally appropriate. With teens and college-aged clients, I also focus on the unique challenges that can come with increased independence,
academic pressure, relationships, identity development, major life transitions, and navigating adulthood. I want each client to have the freedom to communicate and process their emotions in ways that feel natural and comfortable for them.
My therapeutic approach is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Person-Centered Therapy (PCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I draw from these approaches to help clients better understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; learn ways to manage difficult emotions; build healthy coping skills; develop greater self-awareness and self-acceptance; and work toward meaningful, lasting change. Most importantly, I strive to meet each client where they are and tailor therapy to their developmental level, personality, strengths, and individual goals.
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Grand View University in 2025. I have experience working in a generalist private practice setting, as well as in a structured agency supporting children with autism. These experiences have strengthened my passion for meeting young people with patience, curiosity, and compassion and helping them recognize and build upon their own strengths along the way.
Outside of counseling, I enjoy traveling, discovering new coffee shops, spending time with family and friends, and, of course, getting plenty of cuddles from my two cats, Milo and Frankie, and my puppy, Archie.
To contact Shelby, please reach out to our intake coordinator, Danielle, at (515) 984-0225 or intake@willowgrovetherapy.com.