- Years in practice
- 8
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Shirley
Shirley Semel is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who uses a warm, person-centered approach to help parents and individuals facing life’s pressures. She focuses on clear, practical conversations and aims to create a calm space where people can speak honestly about what’s on their mind. She draws on Client-Centered Therapy to listen deeply and help people identify what matters most.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps turn unhelpful thoughts into manageable steps.
Background and approach
Psychodynamic ideas are used to notice repeating patterns that may keep someone stuck. Shirley works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, relationship strain, grief, trauma and addiction-related struggles. She also addresses blended family tensions, caregiver stress, chronic illness and issues around communication and codependency.
Sessions tend to focus on what the client wants to change now and practical ways to get there. That can mean planning small behavior changes, learning new ways to talk with loved ones, or tracing old patterns that keep coming up. The work balances attention to feelings with concrete next steps.
With eight years of clinical experience in California, Shirley has facilitated groups for anger management, domestic violence, and addiction relapse prevention. She aims to help people find more joy and clearer direction so they can move forward with greater confidence.
What Shirley works with
Everything Shirley lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Shirley helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Anger management
- Depression
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Women's issues
Approaches Shirley lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely and reflecting what matters to you, helping people feel heard and clearer about their goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills to shift unhelpful patterns.Choosing the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will ask about your goals, try a few methods, and check in about what feels useful. Together you can steer sessions toward practical changes, emotional understanding, or both depending on your needs.
Online sessions include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which makes scheduling easier around work, school, or caregiving. Video lets you have a face-to-face conversation; phone calls can be a good shorter check-in or for lower bandwidth; live chat and texting allow more frequent brief check-ins and written reflections. These options help therapy fit into busy family lives and varied routines, while keeping the focus on goals and progress.
Questions people ask about Shirley
What concerns can I bring to sessions?
Shirley works with stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, relationship and family problems, grief, trauma, addiction-related issues, and related topics such as communication problems and caregiver stress.
How would you describe the therapy style?
Her style blends client-centered listening with practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and insight from psychodynamic work, plus solution-focused steps to move forward.
What kind of background does the therapist have?
She has eight years of clinical experience and has run groups for anger management, domestic violence, and addiction relapse prevention.
What are the official credentials and where is she based?
She holds an LMFT credential and practices in California.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working together?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to the therapist's availability.
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