Shirley Williams, LCSW, CSW

Shirley Williams is a licensed clinical social worker with deep experience helping people manage everyday stresses and longer-term challenges. She brings a calm, practical style to conversations about anxiety, grief, relationship difficulties, ADHD, and changes in work or family life. Shirley uses clear language and concrete tools so people can try new ways of coping between sessions.

Shirley trained at Wayne State University and earned a Master of Social Work. She has worked across health care, hospice, schools, foster care and adoption, and pregnancy services. Over decades she has supported people facing chronic illness, caregiver strain, trauma, and complicated grief. Her background also includes a 1,000 hour massage therapy program and a credential in massage and bodywork, which inform a body-aware approach to emotional healing.

Her clinical work draws on trauma-focused methods such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Narrative Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy. She often blends talking with hands-on or expressive activities when appropriate, including sound, movement, and clay work. This gives people different ways to process difficult memories and feelings.

Shirley emphasizes collaboration when deciding what to try. She listens for a person’s goals and tailors tools to daily life. With 35 years in the field, she pairs practical coping strategies with long-term healing work.

Shirley practices in Colorado and offers sessions in English. People interested in starting are asked to use the site Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

How EMDR and Narrative Work Online

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, helps people reduce the hold of painful memories by using bilateral stimulation while the person recalls the memory. It is often used for post-traumatic stress and strong trauma reactions and can help reduce emotional intensity around those memories.

Narrative Therapy focuses on the stories people tell about their lives. It helps people separate themselves from a problem and consider new, more helpful storylines for identity, relationships, and purpose.

Trauma-Focused Therapy centers on understanding how trauma has shaped current feelings and behaviors and on building skills to manage overwhelming emotions and responses. Together, these approaches give options for both immediate relief and longer-term change.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, past experiences, and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and can change as needs evolve.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the practitioner’s current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It also makes it simpler to use expressive tools like guided movement or sound during a session when appropriate. Ask about the specific session formats offered when you complete the matching questionnaire.