​As a avid gardener and nature-lover,  I often look to the natural world for inspiration and wisdom in understanding and responding to the complex human experience we call life. I witness the seasons and understand that there is a time for growth and blossoming, a time for leaves to explode in radiance and then decay, a fallow time for stillness in preparation for the next wave of growing. I see the tiniest buds burst open in brilliant color, trees grow taller each year, perennials propagate into striking masses over time. Nature offers many metaphors to us -- for growing in less than ideal conditions, for accepting the flow of the seasons, and for being patient and kind in cultivating the rich soil from which our sprouts will emerge and our spirits will bloom.

Special interests include assisting new mothers with postpartum depression, working with couples to strengthen their relationship foundation and skills, and helping women to care for themselves as much as they care for others.

As a licensed clinical mental health counselor, board-certified art therapist, and trained life coach, I have over 30 years of professional experience helping people to improve the quality of their lives.  As a therapist, I work with individual adults, couples, and adult family members, providing assistance with depression, anxiety, grief, self-esteem issues and relationship complexities.  As a life coach, I work with individuals by phone and in person to reach personal goals for wellness, relationship quality, satisfying work, personal fulfillment, and life balance. Women’s coaching groups and workshops are offered throughout the year, focusing on stress reduction, self-care, and positive life changes in harmony with relationship and family priorities.

Counseling * Coaching * Couples therapy * group support


​In 2016, I began offering a weekly therapeutic support group for folks struggling with chronic health issues related to Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), associated with severe biotoxin illness. Through a close family member, I have gained an understanding of the toll of CIRS on the body, mind, and spirit, and realized the importance of loving support from family and friends. The group addresses the need for a support system beyond family, a community of people who fully "get" the physical and emotional impact of CIRS, and who strive together to find strategies for living satisfying lives in spite of the complex hurdles.

Shelley Cushner Gardner, M.Ed., LCMHC, ATR-BC

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My therapeutic style is eclectic, incorporating varied approaches that best fit the clients' needs. My training includes a systems perspective on families and organizations, the use of creative art and writing as therapeutic modalities, and mindfulness meditation and relaxation techniques as tools for self-care, awareness, stress reduction, and symptom relief. I embrace a mind/body/spirit perspective on health, and encourage clients to consciously attend to all facets of their life experience. In addition, I often recommend books to clients that provide fresh perspectives on overcoming difficult life challenges and cultivating joy, peace, and personal growth in the midst of those challenges.