- Guilt and shame
- Trauma-informed care
- Coping skills
About Shelia
Dr Shelia Rivers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 15 years of experience and licensure in Louisiana and Mississippi. She works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, depression, and major life changes. Her background also includes helping people with guilt and shame and related concerns such as attachment and codependency.
Rivers holds a Master of Social Work and a Doctorate in Social Work, plus a Master of Public Health. She has developed a wellness program called Girl Get Your Life Together aimed at helping women move out of survival mode toward a steadier daily life. In sessions she draws on practical skills to manage symptoms and improve daily functioning.
Her approach is straightforward and collaborative. She uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to address thoughts, behaviors, and coping strategies. Conversations may include identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, practicing new ways to respond in relationships, and addressing trauma symptoms in manageable steps.
People working with feelings of guilt or shame can expect focused attention on how those feelings affect relationships and daily choices. Rivers also helps people navigate breakup, divorce, fatherhood concerns, immigration stress, and the impacts of disasters. She pays attention to how attachment and abandonment issues show up in current patterns.
Sessions aim to produce practical, usable strategies that fit into everyday life. Prospective clients are encouraged to consider how therapy would fit their schedule and goals before booking a first session.
Evidence-based approaches and how online sessions work
Dr Rivers commonly uses cognitive behavioral techniques, which focus on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. These techniques help with anxiety, depression, and persistent guilt by teaching practical skills for daily use.She also draws on trauma-focused interventions that address the impact of traumatic events on mood, relationships, and memory. These methods work in steps, starting with stabilizing symptoms and building coping strategies before processing difficult memories.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist and client review needs, goals, and preferences and then choose which techniques to emphasize. That collaborative process makes room to try different methods and adjust based on what helps most.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking, as the biography does not list formats explicitly. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and remove travel time. Ask about scheduling and how sessions will be structured so they match everyday life and practical needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Mississippi, Louisiana
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, depression, and life changes. Additional focus areas include guilt and shame, attachment issues, codependency, and related concerns.
How would she approach feelings of shame or guilt?
She uses practical, evidence-based techniques to look at thoughts and behaviors that keep shame or guilt active. Work may include changing unhelpful thinking patterns and practicing different responses in relationships.
What is her clinical background?
She has 15 years of professional experience and holds a Master of Social Work and a Doctorate in Social Work, plus a Master of Public Health.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is licensed as an LCSW in Louisiana and Mississippi and practices out of Mississippi.
Can people who speak other languages work with her?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.