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Shelby Combs, LCSW
Staff Therapist
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Biography
I'm a therapist with experience treating people who are working through mental health struggles alongside substance use, often at the same time. Since 2018 I've worked in both group and individual outpatient settings, and a lot of what I do centers on the moment when someone realizes those two things are tangled together and hard to pull apart on their own.
I think a lot about autonomy. You get to make your own choices, and my job isn't to hand you a verdict but to help you see your own situation more clearly. Our first conversation is mostly open talk: your history, what's bringing you in now, your family background, what's worked or fallen flat in treatment before. From there I use person-centered planning to name your strengths and the real barriers in front of you, then we set goals that are measurable and actually realistic rather than aspirational fluff.
I'll ask what you picture for your future, because I want your vision steering the work, not mine. My training in trauma treatment shapes how I approach the tender parts of that history, gently, without rushing past them. Over time we build self-awareness and steadier emotional regulation, and I adjust the strategies to fit you rather than fitting you to a method.
If you're tired of feeling pulled in two directions and want someone to think it through with you at your own pace, reach out and let's start the conversation.
Expertise and specialties
Education and training
- Master of Social Work, University of Tennessee At Knoxville
- Bachelor of Social Work, University of Tennessee