- EMDR
- Narrative Therapy
- Somatic approaches
About Shirley
Shirley Williams is a Colorado LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) with 35 years of clinical experience. She lists relationship, family, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, stress, anxiety, and related concerns among her areas of focus. She works with people facing a wide range of life stresses and emotional challenges and uses trauma-informed approaches in her work.
Shirley trained in psychology and social work at Wayne State University, earning a BA and a Master of Social Work. Early in her career she completed a two-year intensive family therapy program. That training shaped her interest in systems and relational patterns that affect daily life.
She has worked across health care, hospice, schools, foster care, adoption services, pregnancy support, and disability caregiving. Those roles informed her approach to grief, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and end-of-life concerns. She also trained in massage and bodywork and brings somatic awareness into her clinical work when helpful.
Her clinical methods include EMDR, narrative therapy, and trauma-focused therapy. She has added expressive tools over the years such as sound work, movement, clay, and other arts-based techniques that she may introduce during sessions. Shirley has found some clients respond well to newer trauma resolution methods such as The Flash Technique when appropriate.
Shirley describes her practice as trauma-sensitive and somatically informed. She helps people notice body responses, tell their story in new ways, and use practical tools to manage stress and difficult memories. Prospective clients should confirm session formats and scheduling details before booking.
How Shirley integrates EMDR and narrative work online
Shirley uses EMDR to help people process distressing memories through guided eye movement and related methods; this approach is often used for trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Narrative therapy helps people tell and reframe their life stories so difficult events take up less of their identity and create new possibilities for coping.She also draws on trauma-focused therapy that attends to safety, pacing, and body awareness while working through painful material. These approaches can be combined with somatic practices and expressive tools when appropriate, and Shirley will discuss which elements might fit a client’s goals.
Choosing an approach is collaborative. She works with each person to see which methods match their needs, goals, and preferences. That process may begin with a brief conversation about past treatment, current stresses, and what someone hopes to change.
Confirm the session formats Shirley currently offers before booking. Many people find online sessions easier to fit into busy schedules, allow shorter check-ins between in-person appointments, or let them use expressive exercises and movement in their own surroundings. Online work can help keep continuity when travel or caregiving makes in-person visits difficult, while still focusing on paced trauma processing and practical stress-management skills.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
Colorado
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She lists relationship, family, trauma and abuse, grief, ADHD, stress, anxiety, and many related issues such as caregiver stress, chronic illness, and post-traumatic stress.
What is her therapeutic style?
She practices with a trauma-focused, somatic-informed approach that combines narrative work, EMDR, and expressive tools like movement or clay when helpful.
How much experience does she have?
She has 35 years of clinical experience working in health care, hospice, schools, foster care, adoption services, and disability caregiving.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds LCSW and CSW credentials and practices from Colorado as a State of Colorado LCSW.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How do fees and billing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; confirm exact pricing before booking.
How do I start a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.