- Faith-informed counseling
- Skills-focused sessions
- Experience with codependency
About Shirley
Shirley Souder is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed clinical social worker with 43 years of experience. She combines practical, person-focused approaches to help people navigate stress, relationships, grief, and life transitions. Shirley speaks plainly and aims to make therapy understandable and useful from the first session.
Her background includes degrees in Christian Counseling with a theology minor, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Industrial Psychology, and a master’s degree in Psychology. She draws on Reality Therapy principles that ask what clients are doing, what they want to change, and when they plan to act. Those ideas are blended with Christian Counseling practices for clients who want faith-informed support.
Shirley focuses on helping people develop everyday skills. She helps with emotional forgiveness, coping with loss, managing anxiety and depression, and improving relationships. She also offers practical guidance like job interview preparation, basic nutrition suggestions, and strategies for dealing with difficult people.
Her work often addresses family and parenting concerns, codependency, attachment issues, and challenges related to trauma and abuse. She uses a range of clinical approaches including Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing to tailor sessions to each person’s needs.
Clients who prefer sessions that consider spiritual beliefs will find that faith themes can be included when appropriate. Shirley practices in Indiana and works in English. If international scheduling is needed, that can be discussed during intake.
How Shirley’s Approaches Work Online
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationships shape feelings and expectations. It helps people understand patterns in relationships and improve emotional connections through clearer communication and reflection.Client-Centered Therapy centers on the person’s experience and goals. The therapist listens without judgment, and sessions are guided by what the client wants to work on, which suits issues like self-esteem, life changes, and coping skills.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. Shirley collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit best based on their needs, goals, and preferences. Treatment plans are adjusted as work progresses so the approach stays relevant to the client's situation.
Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Because session formats are not fully specified in the biography, confirm current options before booking to know what is offered. Discuss scheduling, international timing, and whether a session will focus on skill-building, emotional forgiveness, or practical problem-solving when you set up the first appointment.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
43+ years
Credentials
Indiana, Indiana
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns can Shirley help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, grief, codependency, parenting, and other life changes listed in her specialties.
What is her general therapy style like?
Her style is practical and person-focused, blending Reality Therapy questions with faith-informed discussion when wanted. Sessions emphasize skills, emotional forgiveness, and clear steps to change.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
She has 43 years of clinical experience and combines educational training in Christian Counseling and psychology with long-standing practice work.
Where is she based and what credentials does she hold?
She practices in Indiana and holds the credentials LMFT and LCSW, with both licences in Indiana.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients connect with her?
International clients are accepted; arrangements can be discussed during intake to accommodate scheduling across time zones.
How are costs handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing the short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.