About Dr. Shelley
Meet Shelley
Shelley Lynch, PhD, LMHC is a therapist, photographer, author, speaker, and guide whose work blends emotional healing, nature, and restorative experiences.
For more than 30 years, Shelley has helped people navigate grief, anxiety, life transitions, and emotional healing — while discovering that healing often happens not only through conversation, but through connection: to ourselves, to nature, and to moments that invite us to slow down and exhale.
Shelley began her career specializing in addictions and eating disorders and has spent decades helping people navigate grief, anxiety, depression, life transitions, and emotional healing. Her therapeutic approach combines traditional psychotherapy with mind-body practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Gestalt therapy, and CranioSacral Therapy.
But Shelley’s story took an unexpected turn.
After the loss of her husband in 2016, Shelley experienced a profound shift in her own healing journey. A vivid dream led her to purchase a professional camera, beginning a path she never expected — one that would reconnect her to hope, wonder, and the healing power of nature.
Soon after, the dolphins of the Indian River Lagoon entered her life.
Since 2018, Shelley has documented the lives of wild dolphins and coastal wildlife in New Smyrna Beach, sharing stories of resilience, play, connection, and healing through photography, speaking engagements, books, and film.
Her award-winning documentary, My Invisible Husband, explores love, grief, healing, and the unexpected ways life calls us forward. Shelley is also the author of Pip’s Fishy Adventure, A True Story and creator of EXHALE, a photography collection inspired by moments of wonder and restoration in nature.
Today, Shelley offers individual therapy, restorative Ocean Floats, speaking events, and creative projects designed to help people reconnect with themselves in meaningful ways.
Whether through therapy, storytelling, nature, or simply floating beneath an open sky, Shelley’s work is rooted in one belief:
Healing happens when we feel safe enough to reconnect with ourselves.
Beyond Therapy
Beyond therapy, Shelley’s work explores the healing connection between humans and nature. Since 2018, Shelley has spent countless hours documenting the lives of wild dolphins and coastal wildlife in the Indian River Lagoon, capturing moments of resilience, wonder, connection, and play.
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Her short documentary, My Invisible Husband, received a standing ovation at its premiere and won both the People’s Choice Award and Best Cinematography. Through themes of grief, healing, and unexpected connection, the film explores how nature can gently guide us back to ourselves. www.myinvisiblehusband.com
Recent Creative Work:
Shelley’s creative work extends her passion for healing beyond the therapy room. Through books, photography, and guided experiences, she creates opportunities for calm, reflection, connection, and restoration.
EXHALE: A Visual Meditation invites moments of calm, reflection, and healing through photography and the beauty of the natural world.
Testimonials
“My therapy with Dr. Shelley has shown me how to follow and trust my intuition when I make decisions. Her versatility and ability to help heal her clients emotionally and spiritually is amazing.” ~Jenny.
“Floating with Dr. Shelley helped me release ‘old baggage’ I had been carrying for a long time. I feel light and happy for the first time in years. “ ~Abby
“Dr. Shelley is a very talented mental health practitioner, but that's "not" why I've continued to be her patient for several years. Shelley has the gift of "healing". Not just your spirit, but you as a whole. I truly had some serious emotional/family health issues and to get to my "core" she had to heal my being. Her healing has become a source of relief for an assortment of ailments for me. ~George
“Working with Dr. Shelley has helped me immensely over the past two years gain. With her assistance I have more insight into myself and my relationships with others. She is extremely clear, present and has given me the tools to move through many layers emotional pain.” ~Steve