About Me

I’m Shelly, a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) and founder of Radical Uprising Collective. I earned my undergraduate degree in Psychology while serving in the U.S. Air Force, where I also worked as a sexual violence advocate. Later, I completed my Master of Social Work (MSW) at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and am currently working toward full licensure as a Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). This means my practice is supported by supervisors with decades of clinical experience, which deepens and strengthens the care I provide.

My career has spanned military service, community resource navigation, youth shelters, community mental health, and private practice. I’ve supported survivors of domestic and sexual violence, people experiencing homelessness, adults with Autism and ADHD, transgender clients, and those in non-traditional relationships, including ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, and kink/BDSM. Underlying many of these experiences is trauma, and my focus is on building trust and safety within a trauma-focused lens.

As someone who has navigated oppressive systems myself, I understand what it feels like not to fit the mold. Still, I don’t see myself as “the expert on your life.” My role is to hold space where you can uncover patterns, reclaim your voice, and connect more deeply-with yourself, with others, and with the communities you want to build. You are not broken, and you don’t need fixing. Healing is about finding meaning and moving beyond simply functioning within a broken system.