Mari Shelton, MA

Mari is a collaborative and understanding therapist pursuing her Master’s degree in the Couples, Marriage, and Family Therapy program at the University of Colorado. She is currently working under the supervision of Laura Golojuch, PhD, LMFT.

Mari strives to honor all the unique pieces that make clients who they are and sees them as the expert of their lived experiences. She utilizes an integrative approach with clients, pulling from attachment, emotionally-focused, person-centered, and systemic therapies. In order to understand the emotional difficulties and cycles that come up in current relationships (whether the relationship be with friends, family, partners, or one’s self), Mari guides her clients in exploring their earliest connections, salient identities, intergenerational trauma, cultural contexts, and places in larger societal systems. She works from the belief that deep personal growth happens when clients allow themselves to unravel, embrace “the messy”, and face what feels scary and uncomfortable. Through the therapeutic process, Mari works with her clients to deconstruct old patterns and thoughts that no longer serve them, and empowers them towards self-discovery, inner emotional reconnection, and radical authenticity.

Mari is a Persian-American female who is social justice-oriented, LGBTQIA+ allied, and body and sex positive. Her particular interests are working with individuals and couples, especially as related to multicultural issues, anxiety, chronic illnesses/conditions, women’s issues, relationship patterns, and intergenerational trauma. She holds both a Master’s of Public Health and a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Exercise Science from Virginia Tech, thus also bringing a holistic perspective to the therapeutic work.