Shelly Rutz, MSW, LCSW

Clinical Social Worker

Umatter coordinator
Counseling Center Outreach Coordinator
CARE advisor

Professional Interests:  Multicultural Counseling and Identity Development, Dating and Sexual Violence Treatment and Prevention, LGBTQ Issues, Spirituality, Family and Relationship Issues.

Background and Counseling Philosophy:

Shelly has worked at the University Counseling Center since 2002.  She draws on a wide array of work experiences to provide a holistic approach to her students.  She enjoys working with individuals to address mental health concerns, relationships, transitions, crisis intervention, sexual and dating violence, identity development and discrimination.

In her role as clinical social worker, Shelly works to create a safe atmosphere for students to explore their concerns.  She believes that students are their own experts and provides the necessary support, information, advocacy and listening ear to assist the student to identify the issues creating difficulty and works with the student to figure out the best response

Shelly grew up in Connecticut and went to college on the Northshore outside of Boston, MA.  She was an active student leader in her undergraduate program and worked with their outdoor experiential education program.    She moved to St. Louis to pursue her graduate degree and worked as a crisis worker, a community social worker providing crisis management and in home family therapy to at risk families, a medical social worker in the Oncology Unit at Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, and as a group therapist in an Intensive Outpatient Unit.   

Shelly was fortunate to live in London for a year and volunteered with various service organizations.  In addition, she also enjoyed volunteering with undergraduate students at Washington University in St. Louis.  Shelly wanted to learn more about Student Affairs and was hired as a Residential Hall Director at Washington University in St. Louis. 

Personal Interests: 

Shelly has 2 children and enjoys traveling, gardening, hiking and meeting new people.  She would someday love to own a kayak. 

Academic Training: 

M.S.W., George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis

B.S., Social Work, Gordon College