Shelley G Pier, LCSW
(She/Her)
Preferred Name: Shelley
About Me
I am passionate about my work and I love helping people reconnect with themselves. Healing from trauma and grief is not just about surviving the experience, it is also about learning to LIVE again. I enjoy being part of this process and empowering people to grow, change, heal, and thrive! I believe it is important to get to the root of the problem, not just manage the symptoms. One of the gifts I bring to you is listening deeply and helping you feel understood as we collaborate on implementing practical solutions.
Education & Experience
I graduated with a Masters in Social Work in 2004 from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. I focused on clinical therapy with a specialization in sexual assault and abuse survivors. Since then I have worked in various settings: inpatient/outpatient mental health, veterinary social work, supervising visitation between noncustodial parents and their children, substance abuse, Alzheimer’s Association, and rape crisis centers. I spent nine years at Northwest Center Against Sexual Assault (Northwest CASA) where I was a medical/legal advocate, volunteer coordinator, Staff Therapist, Services Manager for the CARE Center (Northwest CASA’s McHenry satellite), supervisor for graduate and undergraduate interns, professional educator in the community, and grant writer. I also coordinated with Oakton Community College to develop and teach a class called Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention. While at Northwest CASA, I started an Animal Assisted Therapy program with my dog, Cassie. Currently I'm working towards certification for Equine Facilitated Therapy and training my horse, Machi, to be my equine co-therapist.
Professional & Volunteer Affiliations
EMDRIA HERD Institute
Specialty Area
- Abuse/Neglect
- Dissociative Disorders
- Domestic Violence
- Gender Identity
- Grief/Loss/Mourning
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Sexual Abuse
- Spirituality
- Traumatic Incident
Population Served
- Adults
- LGBTQ+
Language
- English
Insurance
- BlueCross BlueShield
- Cigna
- UnitedHealth