Shirley Souder, LMFT, LCSW

Shirley Souder is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed clinical social worker with 43 years of experience. She blends practical problem-solving with faith-informed perspectives when clients ask for help. Shirley focuses on clear, doable steps so people can make meaningful changes in daily life.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ideas to identify unhelpful thoughts and habits. That helps with anxiety, depression, stress, and addiction-related struggles by changing what people do and think. Shirley also draws on attachment-based and client-centered ideas to improve relationships and self-understanding.

Her background includes degrees in psychology and Christian counseling. Shirley pairs psychological tools with spiritual resources for clients who want that mix. She emphasizes skills such as emotional forgiveness, communication, and strategies to cope with grief or major life transitions.

Sessions typically focus on concrete goals like managing anger, improving intimacy-related issues, handling caregiver stress, or working through trauma and abuse. She also helps with career concerns, parenting challenges, body image, and coping after illness or loss. Shirley offers coaching-style guidance as part of therapy when useful.

Clients can expect straightforward conversation, tailored strategies, and a focus on doable practice between sessions. She works with many concerns including relationship and family stress, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and the effects of dissociation or attachment wounds.

How Shirley’s Approaches Translate to Online Therapy

Shirley commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and change small behaviors that feed anxiety, depression, or addiction. CBT in online sessions focuses on clear practice tasks and short check-ins to track progress. Attachment-Based Therapy is used to understand patterns in relationships and to build more secure ways of connecting; work like this often involves exploring feelings and practicing new communication skills during sessions.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then try methods that best fit those needs. Over time the plan can shift based on what helps most, combining CBT, attachment work, or client-centered conversations as appropriate.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation and exercises that use visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and messaging are convenient for short check-ins, brief coaching, or ongoing support between longer sessions.