- CBT techniques
- Motivational interviewing
- Mindfulness skills
About Shirley
Shirley Southard is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in North Carolina with 20 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, depression, ADHD, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting challenges, and coping with life changes.
She has a long history in human services, including work with mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse populations. That work included assisted medication management and support for active military members and their families. Shirley says her main reward is helping people make changes that let them look to the future with more hope.
Sessions are straightforward and focused on practical skills. She often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and shift behaviors. Motivational interviewing is used to clarify goals and strengthen the desire to change.
Shirley also draws on Client-Centered and Dialectical Behavior Therapy approaches, and she offers psycho-education to explain what is happening and why certain tools help. These methods are used to address mood disorders, addictions, grief, and parenting stresses.
Her background includes work with divorce, single parenting, and women’s issues, and she reports experience supporting veterans and active service members. Shirley works with individuals and with children in clinical settings as part of her broader practice.
People can expect direct conversation, practical suggestions, and steps to try between sessions. She asks clients to set clear goals and checks progress as treatment continues.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to the person's experience. In practice this means the therapist reflects what the client says and helps them sort priorities and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and actions that keep problems going. It gives clear exercises to try between sessions to change patterns linked to anger, anxiety, or low mood.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Shirley will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. That might mean starting with motivational interviewing to build readiness, then adding CBT skills and mindfulness practice to manage reactions and impulses.
The biography does not specify session formats, so confirm the available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, cut down travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules require it. Therapists often adapt exercises for video or phone meetings and use worksheets and brief between-session tasks that plug into everyday routines. This helps people practice new responses to anger and stress where they happen most.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
North Carolina
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to anger?
She lists anger among many concerns and helps people manage temper, resentment, and impulsivity alongside stress and mood issues.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses direct, skills-based work with supportive listening. Expect practical tools, psycho-education, and goal-focused conversation.
How much experience does she have?
She has 20 years in the human services field, including work with mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse populations.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an LCMHC - Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list session formats; confirm current session options before booking.
How does cost and billing work?
Costs vary by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin working together?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.