Sheila Jacobson Long, LCSW

Founder & Clinical Therapist

Gentle Guardians’ founder — 14 years of care for kids, teens, adults, and families, with a big toolbox and an even bigger heart.

Sandy office · Telehealth across Utah · Children, teens, adults & families

About Sheila

Sheila founded Gentle Guardians Counseling on a simple belief: good therapy should feel safe, human, and genuinely helpful. With 14 years in mental health, she works with children, teens, adults, and families, and brings one of the widest ranges of training on the team to meet each client where they are.

Her focus areas include anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, ADHD, autism, behavior problems, and parenting concerns. Sheila draws on a deep, flexible toolbox — EMDR, TF-CBT, DBT, ACT, family systems, sand tray and art-based therapy, mindfulness-based work, and more — always choosing the approach that fits the person in front of her rather than the other way around.

Specializes in

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma
• Grief and loss
• ADHD
• Autism
• Behavior problems
• Parenting

Approaches Sheila uses

• EMDR
• TF-CBT
• DBT
• ACT
• Family Systems
• Sand Tray Therapy
• Play Therapy
• Mindfulness
• Motivational Interviewing

Sheila might be a great fit if…

• You want a seasoned therapist who works with the whole family
• You’re navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, or grief
• You’re seeking ADHD, autism, or parenting support
• You value a warm, flexible, evidence-based approach