- Years in practice
- 35
- Credentials
- LCSW, CSW
- Licensed in
- Colorado
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Shirley
Shirley Williams is a licensed clinical social worker with 35 years of experience helping people navigate parenting stress, relationship strain, grief, trauma, and everyday anxiety. She speaks plainly and works to make therapy manageable for busy people. Her style is practical and grounded, aimed at clear steps rather than jargon.
Shirley began with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Social Work from Wayne State University. Early in her career she completed an intensive family therapy program in Ann Arbor when family systems work was emerging.
Background and approach
That background informs how she notices patterns in relationships and parent-child dynamics. She brings a somatic perspective to her sessions, blending talk therapy with body-centered techniques. Shirley has professional experience in health care, hospice, schools, foster care and adoption, and pregnancy services, which shaped her approach to complex life stressors.
Her clinical practice includes trauma-focused work, Narrative Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and she sometimes uses expressive arts and movement in sessions. Shirley integrates practical tools such as sound therapy, dance and clay work when they fit a client's goals. Clients can expect a collaborative process that looks at current problems and the life events behind them.
Shirley uses the skills she has gathered over decades to help people find relief, build coping strategies, and improve communication at home. She practices in Colorado and offers online options to fit family schedules.
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.
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- ADHD
- Stress, Anxiety
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Shirley lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Shirley Uses Trauma-Informed Methods Online
Shirley uses EMDR, Narrative Therapy, and trauma-focused strategies in ways that translate to online work. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, helps people reduce the intensity of painful memories by using guided bilateral stimulation alongside talk work. Narrative Therapy focuses on separating a person from their problems by retelling life events and finding alternative meanings. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates directly on the effects of traumatic events and builds practical coping skills to reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning.Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. Shirley will talk with each person about their history, goals, and what feels doable. Together they try methods, note what helps, and adjust the plan so work matches individual needs and preferences.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication styles. Video calls are good when visual connection matters, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a camera is not preferred, and messaging or live chat can work for brief check-ins or when someone needs flexibility during the day. These options let people keep therapy consistent while balancing family and work demands.
Questions people ask about Shirley
What concerns does Shirley address?
She works with relationship and parenting issues, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, stress, anxiety, depression, sleep and eating concerns, anger, self-esteem, and life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is practical and grounded. Shirley mixes talk therapy with somatic techniques and expressive tools to help clients manage feelings and change patterns.
What is her clinical background?
She holds a Master of Social Work and has 35 years of experience, including work in hospice, schools, foster care and adoption, pregnancy services, and health care settings.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is listed as LCSW and CSW and practices in Colorado.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Shirley offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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