Background
Dr. Shelley Dennis, PhD, ABPP, graduated from Grand Valley State University with honors in 1999. She completed her master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2004, also with honors, and did her pre- and post-doctoral work at Pine Rest in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dr. Shelley has years of experience as a clinical psychologist within a variety of settings including medical (advising physicians on patient mental health care), non-profit consulting, school systems, and legal settings. Previously, she was the Assistant Director for Pine Rest's APA-Accredited pre-doctoral internship program and Adjunct Faculty for Michigan State University Medical Residents.
In 2012, Shelley completed her Board Certification in Clinical Psychology (ABPP), which is a comprehensive process of evaluation and competency certification targeted at endorsing highly qualified psychologists. She is one of three board-certified clinical psychologists in West Michigan and one of roughly 40 in the state of Michigan. Dr. Shelley also became a credentialed Health Service Psychologist (HSP) with The National Register in 2021, which is a national organization that distinguishes Clinical Psychologists in independent practice. In 2024, Dr. Shelley became approved as a PSY-PACT provider, which is an inter-state compact that allows licensed psychologists to practice across over 38 state lines using Telepsychology sessions.
In 2010, Shelley founded a successful private practice of interdisciplinary clinicians and in 2014 began the psychology offices at Eastside in concert with Dr. Rotzien to create a team of psychologists. This practice now offers outpatient services from seven doctoral-level psychologists who practice independently in a shared office environment. In 2020, Dr. Shelley created The Comfort Cube™, a company focused on providing psychological development outside of the therapy office, including workshops, courses, and products. The Comfort Cube™ launches in January 2024.
Approach
Dr. Shelley has built a thriving private practice due to her successful outcomes with clients. She has over 20 years of experience as a licensed clinical psychologist working with individuals, couples, and families. Dr. Shelley views her work with clients as a collaborative relationship that focuses on client goals, needs, and overall well-being. Her easy connection with others quickly establishes trust and she sees therapy as a vehicle for change by increasing understanding, emotional development, and skill building. Shelley's advanced training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy provides the basis of her approach.
Shelley has advanced training in the use of the Gottman Couple's Method and Emotion-Focused Couple's Therapy. Her years of work with couples center on relationship change through emotional connection, communication, acceptance, and healthy routines. Shelley acknowledges that relationships can be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences in life. However, she believes that the basis of a joyful relationship is a deep friendship, where partners experience each other as accessible, responsive, and emotionally available. She also draws from her own experience of being happily married for 30 years.
Shelley's clinical focus is on the improvement of family functioning. She can provide effective and lasting change in families through her work in family therapy. Whether working individually, with couples, or with young adults, family relationships are improved through developing healthy communication skills, resolving/accepting differences, and increasing cohesion through creating a shared family vision. Shelley's dissertation work was on the topic of ADHD and social development and so she is particularly adept at working with families who struggle with ADHD (parent or adolescent). Shelley's experience as a parent of two children and being part of a large extended family contributes to her knowledge of family relationships.
In her personal life, Shelley enjoys cooking, gardening, artistic pursuits, yoga, spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.
