Hi! I’m Shelley. Welcome to Interior Castle Counseling.
I’m a counselor. What does that mean? It means I’m here to walk alongside you through the tough times, the times when life feels too hard, confusing, stalled or blocked. I’m also here for the times when you’re ready to make a change in your life or you’re faced with the unexpected.
If you choose to work with me, you’ll experience what it feels like to be really heard and understood. (Not told what to do, or judged, or given “expert” opinions on what the problem is and how to fix it.) We’ll work to find meaning and relief, with solutions you craft for yourself, because you are the expert of you.
Life is tough, so maybe you’ve forgotten how truly competent you are. Maybe you’re facing something you’ve never done before and you’re not sure you can do it. Maybe you want to rediscover your confidence, increase your joy, or let go of patterns or behaviors that are no longer serving you. You can bring all of this, and more, into our work together.
Here’s a little more about me:
- I’m originally from Washington State and I moved from Arizona to Rome, Italy, in 2001.
- I obtained my diploma in counseling (Master Esperienziale in Gestalt Counseling) in 2024 in a three-year training program at ASPIC, the European Superior School of Professional Counseling.
- I’m a member of REICO professional counseling association, which ensures I adhere to a professional code of ethics, engage in continuing education and supervision, and maintain professional standards of the highest level.
- My theoretical orientation is primarily Rogerian person-centered counseling, a method founded by Carl Rogers. This method is based on the belief that human beings are intrinsically oriented to grow and reach their highest potential if the proper conditions are provided. Counseling sessions provide this environment for growth and exploration.
- My training is “integrative pluralistic,” which means I studied a variety of theoretical orientations and techniques (Gestalt, neurolinguistic programming, transactional analysis, non-violent communication, and others) so I can custom-tailor my approach and tools for each of my clients based on their specific needs.
- I also have a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Marketing from Northern Arizona University (1999), I completed two years of the three-year Master in Social Work at UW Tacoma (2009-2011) before moving back to Rome in 2011, and I obtained my diploma summa cum laude in Spiritual Theology in the two-year program at the Teresianum (2021) in Rome.
Why is my practice called Interior Castle?
The name Interior Castle comes from the title of a classical mystical text written by the 16th-century foundress of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, St. Teresa of Avila. She used the metaphor of a diamond castle with many rooms, which she called “mansions,” to describe the inner world and the journey one goes through as they advance on a spiritual path, growing ever closer to the Source of all things.
My work as a counselor is secularly oriented and doesn’t include or impose any religious or spiritual beliefs. However, I do think personal growth is a soulful journey that can bring us closer to truth. I love the image of the “interior castle” as a metaphor for the journey we take together as we explore your inner world and seek to uncover the truth and beauty that already exists and has always existed within you. Together we can walk you towards a life that more closely matches your soul’s highest and most authentic purpose and expression.
My wish for you is that you may continue to seek and find your way and trust that you are being guided from within in each and every moment!
When I became a counselor, one of my colleagues gifted me the following text by the Celtic scholar John O’Donohue, and I’d like to share an excerpt of it with you below. May it bring you peace.
For Solitude
May you recognize in your life the presence, power and light of your soul.
May you realize that you are never alone,
that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you
intimately with the rhythm of the universe.
May you have respect for your own individuality and
difference.
May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that
you have a special destiny here,
that behind the facade of your life there is something
beautiful, good, and eternal happening.
–by John O’Donohue, from “To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings”