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Shelley Cooper, LICSW, is a psychotherapist and founder of Zen Mind & Body, a practice dedicated to helping adults and adolescents navigate anxiety, life transitions, and the pressures of high-functioning living. She works with clients who appear “put together” on the outside but feel overwhelmed, stressed, or disconnected internally. Shelley supports individuals through major life changes, relationship challenges, identity shifts, and experiences of burnout.
Shelley's approach is integrative, blending cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based strategies, and somatic awareness. She helps clients understand how their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations interact, guiding them toward greater clarity, resilience, and emotional regulation. Her clinical style is warm, grounding, and collaborative—creating a calming space for clients to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with themselves.
With over a decade of clinical experience and a background in both psychotherapy and wellness practices, Shelley brings a holistic lens to her work. She has extensive experience supporting individuals with anxiety disorders, stress-related symptoms, and people in complex life transitions. Prior to opening her private practice, she worked in a variety of mental health settings, including community mental health, schools, crisis services, and outpatient therapy.
Shelley provides in-person sessions in her Newport, Rhode Island office located on Bellevue Avenue, and offers telehealth therapy throughout Connecticut. She accepts major Connecticut insurance plans and provides private-pay options in Rhode Island. Her practice is designed to offer flexible, accessible care for clients seeking a supportive and personalized therapeutic experience.
Years of Experience: 26 years
Anxiety - Coping with excessive worry, nervousness, or stress; intense discomfort in social settings (social anxiety); sudden and intense feelings of panic (panic disorder)
Phobias & fears - Providing techniques and support to overcome intense fear, anxiety, and panic related to specific triggers, such as heights or crowded spaces
Self-esteem - Cultivating self-compassion, assertiveness, and confidence; developing ways to reduce suffering, anxiety, social withdrawal, and self-neglect
Stress management - Strengthening effective ways of coping with the stress of life and change; managing expectations of self and others
Self-doubt - Exploring how self-doubt shows up in one’s life and the origins of this self-doubt; training oneself in self-esteem and confidence
Worry - Learning how worry shows up in one’s life and exploring how worry impacts daily life, relationships, and wellbeing; developing coping skills to mitigate the impacts of worry
Small steps make a big difference. Start by connecting with Shelley Cooper today.