Mental Health Counseling for Women

Women's Resource Center offers free mental health counseling sessions to uninsured and underinsured women from Catawba, Burke, Caldwell and Alexander counties.

We currently have 2 licensed counselor available, and all counseling sessions are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

Jennifer Shepherd, MA LCMHC has served the Foothills region of NC as a change agent, manager, and direct service professional in the mental health industry for over 16 years. She is licensed in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia as a professional counselor. She serves individuals through group, family, and one-on-one therapy. In addition to serving through the Women’s Resource Center, Jennifer contracts as a therapist through Teladoc and conducts trainings and workshops on topics including the 8 areas of wellness identified by SAMHSA and Stress First Aid.

Jennifer obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Davidson College and her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling with School Counseling Licensure from Lenoir Rhyne University. She is currently pursuing her MBA at Lenoir Rhyne University with a concentration on Executive Management. Personally, she identifies herself as an individual with lived experience and someone thriving in life despite challenges with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, ADHD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She has presented locally and at the state level including at previous i2i conferences, 2019 NC NAMI Conference and NC TIDE in 2024. She has been recognized for excellence in collaboration with crisis services, for excellence in outpatient services and for service to the community. She has served North Carolina communities through the deliverables of three SAMHSA grants.

Sara Nafziger-Shelly, LCSW,BCD is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of experience working with individuals, families, children, and adolescents. Having been employed as a therapist in public and private settings, Sara has discovered many effective tools to work with her clientele. She combines traditional evidence-based methods such as psychodynamic, rational emotive therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with non-traditional expressive modalities such as sand-tray therapy, dream work, and art therapy. Sara specializes in complex trauma, personality disorders, adjustment disorders, anxiety, spiritual direction, life transitions, and grief, to name a few. She believes that therapy is not a cure, but a guide to assist people through life’s journey. As a partner (co-facilitator) in her client’s healing, Sara believes that each client has the answer within themselves. Additionally, Sara treats the whole person - spirit, mind, and body. Sara believes we are whole people, that mind, body, and spirit are inseparable.

If you would like to schedule a counseling appointment or to obtain additional information about this program, please call our front desk (828-322-6333) or click on the link below to send us an email.