David Shirly, LMHC

David Shirly is a licensed mental health counselor with ten years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, and relationship struggles. He works with adults on issues like depression, trauma, sleeping problems, and self-esteem concerns. David practices from Florida and offers services in English, including online sessions for international clients.

David uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with client-centered and mindfulness techniques to help people identify unhelpful patterns and try new behaviors. He favors clear, practical steps in sessions so clients can test changes between appointments. He also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy when emotion regulation and relationship wounds are central.

Sessions often focus on skill building for anxiety, coping strategies for addiction, and communication tools for relationship and intimacy issues. He pays attention to attachment, abandonment, and codependency patterns that keep people stuck. David also supports people dealing with body image, BDSM and kink-related concerns, caregiver stress, and the fallout from separation or domestic violence.

People can expect a collaborative pace. David helps set small, measurable goals and adapts techniques to real life situations. He emphasizes improving sleep, managing anger, and strengthening attention and organization for those with ADHD.

David blends practical exercises with moments to process feeling and meaning. He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.

How therapeutic approaches work online

David uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change patterns of thought and behavior that worsen anxiety, depression, and addictive habits. CBT sessions often include clear exercises and homework to try new skills between meetings.

He also works from a client-centered stance, which means sessions focus on the person's goals and experience. That approach offers space to talk through feelings and to decide together what steps feel manageable.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with clients to pick methods that fit their goals, needs, and preferences and will adjust techniques as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and skill practice, while phone sessions can require less bandwidth. Live chat and messaging work well for shorter check-ins, brief coaching, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, travel, or caregiving responsibilities.