“When we welcome what’s right in front of us, there is space for allowing and embracing. In that space, we find freedom.”
Shelby Leigh (she/her)
my story
I felt like a wild horse, broken. Fragmented, searching, seeking, and nothing landing. Separate from all the beauty that surrounded me and unable to take up any nourishment from connection, nature, food, spirit, or the mountains that called me every day. Separate from the light I could feel inside me but I couldn’t find.
Like so many of us, I have a history that got the best of me for decades. Despite feeling like I’d tried everything (and I do mean everything) to find freedom, I still felt like I was on the outside of my life looking in. I wanted in - to be part of it all in a way that I could really be there for it.
Longing to feel better from chronic health issues, anxiety & depression, I eventually learned I was both carrying the impacts of complex trauma & that I was neurodiverse. Finally an understanding about the intricate dance between these things began to set me free. Highly masking in a neurotypical dominated world was exhausting to say the least.
EVERY SINGLE PART OF YOU IS WELCOME, EXACTLY AS YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.
As a highly sensitive, empathetic, introverted, and neurocomplex CIS female, I was socialized to believe I didn’t fit and that if I wanted to survive I needed to get quiet, small, be nice, and stay hidden. Others didn’t like power so I kept a lid on it until the lid could no longer stay.
I am elated to know and embody a true fierceness that holds these sensitivities as wildly meaningful gifts that are some of the most important parts of who I am. There is a foundation of clarity, attunement, compassion, and warmth from where I sit and through growing my capacity with the immense skill and care of healers, therapists, trauma-informed physicians, and so many others.
I know in every cell of my being and deep in my bones that no matter how hopeless, helpless, apathetic, or terrified we might feel - healing is available. And, not just the kind that helps us get by, the kind that lights us on fire and gives us meaning to live and love full out, no matter what.
Creating strong, safe enough and truly connected and therapeutic relationships can build a foundation that is necessary to thrive from. When we show up with who we are and a solid sense of inner and outer support - we become unstoppable. We find our line, stay our course, and honor what needs to be cared for in each of us. We do our work with fierce love and dedication.
my philosophy
Nothing and no one is a problem.
True care starts with understanding this. We welcome and celebrate one another's humanity knowing that behind every coping mechanism or defense is intelligence that kept us alive and helped us survive a broken world. There is a very good reason for every emotion, reaction, impulse, and need.
When we understand and embody the awareness of our differences, and any impacts of trauma, we can begin to move ourselves towards more ease, freedom, and genuine connection inside and out. Most of us come with sophisticated emotional responses that are creative and intelligent and it’s how we survived.
guided support
LET ME HELP YOU FIND YOUR GROUND
Bend, Oregon on the land belonging to the Wasco, Northern Paiute, and Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is where I live.
I am joined by Luna, my sweet border collie lab mix whose SOUL purpose is to adventure in nature, wrestle, extrovert, love, rest, and repeat.
When away from my work, you’ll find me driving down a dirt road, taking in gorgeous views, road-tripping, wandering in the woods, rafting a river, midnight canoe stargazing, flying somewhere tropical, typing half-written memoirs, taking long naps, chasing sunsets and asking myself frequently “what is the MOST loving thing I can do in this moment?”.
my home
CREDENTIALS + CERTIFICATIONS
Neurodiversity Affirming Autism + ADHD Assessment - Method Creative, Lindsey Mackereth, MA, LPCC, LADC
MA Somatic Psychotherapy - California Institute of Integral Studies
Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Oregon (#C6810)
Transforming Touch® Practitioner (Transforming the Experienced-Based Brain) - Stephen J Terrell, Psyd, Phd
Somatic Resilience and Regulation Certification - Kathy L Kain, PhD and Stephen J Terrell, PsyD, SEP
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Certification
Mindfulness Facilitation Certification - UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
Trauma Care Training - Trauma Informed Oregon
NLP Coaching Certification - Bev Martin
Vita Coaching Certification
Yoga Teaching Certification
bio
Hi! I’m Shelby Leigh (she/her), a Somatic Psychotherapist, assessor, coach, educator, meditation teacher, and Licensed Professional Counselor. With over 20 years of experience, I've dedicated my career to supporting clients and students through somatic trauma healing, self-compassion, and guiding them back to their whole-hearted, true nature.
Working with me involves tears, awkward laughter, deep-hearted connections, and hope. My practice is neurodiversity-affirming, inclusive, and trauma-informed. I focus on nervous system support to highlight the unique brilliance of neurodivergent individuals, helping them expand their ability to respond to each moment instead of reacting - fostering a sustainable experience of ease, peace, and well-being.
My methodology integrates nervous system support, somatic practices, trauma-informed mindfulness, attachment theory, and a deep recognition of each individual’s wholeness and uniqueness.
Sessions with me feel like a deep exhale—a space that’s caring, welcoming, and spacious, allowing all parts of you to emerge. Here, both your unseen and visible differences are nurtured with awe, playfulness, and groundedness. My clients are often deep feelers and sensitive souls who have endured a relentless dark night of the soul, searching for that missing piece to settle their inner restlessness.
My compassionate and skilled approach is shaped by my own journey as a neurocomplex individual—curious, attuned, and wildly open-hearted.
Originally, my first steps into the field of mental health were to soothe my own experiences of intense anxiety, depression, and overwhelming intensity. I often felt like an outsider, seeking a deeper connection and inner trust that seemed just out of reach.
What started as a personal quest for peace and awakening transformed into a profound love for supporting others in discovering their self-worth, peace, ease, and steadiness.
I have lived in numerous countries, immersing myself in studies of relationships, communication, the impacts of complex trauma, neurodiversity, and the most effective modalities for fostering genuine inner and outer connections. My adventures have included many long silent meditation retreats, learning new languages and musical instruments, and balancing solitude with social interaction.
When not working, you might find me driving down a dirt road, soaking in beautiful landscapes, road-tripping, wandering through the woods with my dog Luna, rafting, stargazing from a midnight canoe, flying to tropical destinations, composing half-finished memoirs, taking long naps, chasing sunsets, and frequently asking myself, “What is the MOST loving thing I can do in this moment?”
As a licensed independent provider with a private practice in Bend, OR, I offer Adult Autism, ADHD assessments, and Giftedness profiling, alongside nervous system support sessions. My work passionately shifts the focus from pathology to the beauty of diversity, fostering curiosity, connection, and fierce advocacy for healing and empowerment that’s grounded in wholeness.