Shirley Williams, LCSW, CSW

Shirley Williams is a licensed clinical social worker who brings calm and care to people facing trauma, grief, stress, anxiety, and relationship concerns. She speaks plainly and listens for what matters to each person. With 35 years of experience, she focuses on practical steps that help people cope with life changes and build better daily routines.

Shirley trained at Wayne State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Social Work. Early in her career she completed a two-year intensive family therapy program and later added many advanced trainings. That background informs her work with communication problems, attachment struggles, and abandonment issues.

Her practice combines trauma-focused methods with somatic work. Shirley completed a 1,000-hour massage therapy program and became nationally certified in massage and bodywork, plus she holds a Colorado LCSW and CSW. She uses movement, sound, and clay when these tools support processing and emotional regulation.

As an EMDR practitioner she also uses The Flash Technique in trauma resolution. She brings narrative therapy ideas into sessions to help people reframe painful stories and build a clearer sense of life purpose. Sessions emphasize safety, pacing, and skills people can use between meetings.

Shirley has worked in health care, hospice, schools, foster care, adoption, pregnancy services, and with people caring for those with disabilities. Her approach is curious and collaborative, helping clients find manageable ways to address concerns such as chronic illness, caregiving stress, compulsions, and grief.

How EMDR, Narrative, and Trauma-Focused Care Work Online

Shirley often uses Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which guides attention while a person recalls upsetting memories to reduce their emotional intensity. It is commonly used for post-traumatic stress and other trauma reactions.

Narrative Therapy focuses on the stories people tell about themselves. Shirley helps clients separate a person from a problem, find different meanings, and build alternative, more helpful narratives about their life and choices.

Trauma-Focused Therapy emphasizes stabilizing skills, pacing, and gradually processing traumatic material. Shirley pairs these approaches with somatic tools like breath work, movement, and expressive activities to help people notice bodily responses and learn regulation techniques.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shirley will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and comfort level, and she adjusts pacing and tools as therapy progresses.

Session formats are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow people to use brief check-ins when needed. Different methods can be adapted for remote sessions, and Shirley will suggest practical ways to practice skills between meetings.