Hi there! My name is Raheleh (aka “Rachel”) Shams and I’m an Associate Marriage & Family
Therapist here at Nugent Family Counseling Center. I provide school-based individual and group
therapy to students struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, low self-esteem, anger management,
grief and loss, social anxiety, low distress tolerance (difficulty regulating emotions), maladaptive coping
skills (e.g., substance abuse), family conflicts due to acculturation differences within a household, and
suicidal ideation to name a few. Prior to joining Nugent, I was employed at Community Health
Awareness Council (CHAC) located in Mountain View, CA, at which I provided both individual and
group therapy to elementary and middle-school students within the MVWSD. I received my Master of
Arts in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University and have had further training in assertive
communication and conflict resolution strategies, mindfulness and relaxation techniques, motivational
interviewing, social skills training, as well as art/play therapy.
Despite possessing a naturally cheerful, upbeat, and humorous attitude, I believe that I am well-
attuned to the emotions and inner processes of others (however subtle they may be) and hence am
able to meet others where they are at, in accordance to their individual needs, leading me to utilize a
more integrative therapeutic approach in practice – a blend of various treatment modalities such as
CBT, DBT, art/play therapy, mindfulness, and person-centered therapy.
Driven by a personal desire to positively influence people’s lives while also possessing a unique
ability to put others at ease by harnessing their positive emotions even in the midst of adversity,
instilling hope and optimism while providing clients with a safe and supportive therapeutic space to
process their thoughts/feelings, my hope is not only to increase client motivation and engagement but
to also assist my clients in developing further insight towards their problematic behaviors, increase
their resiliency and interpersonal effectiveness, allowing them to get one step closer to achieving their
full potential.
Therapy is a collaborative approach. We will both learn and grow from this experience during our
time together. I’ll provide you with the tools, guidance, and support to help you get there… but you’re
going to have to roll up those sleeves – let’s do this!