- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Attachment-based work
- Grief and addiction
About Shirley
Shirley Souder is an LMFT and LCSW licensed in Indiana with 43 years of experience. She helps people handle stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, addiction, and other life changes. Her work also covers parenting, intimacy-related issues, anger, career concerns, and questions about self-esteem and coping skills.
She brings an approach that highlights emotions and attachment, listing Emotionally-Focused Therapy among her methods. She also uses Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, cognitive behavioral strategies, and motivational interviewing. Sessions focus on naming difficult feelings, noticing interaction patterns, and trying small changes to test what helps.
Her background includes degrees in Christian counseling and psychology. That history informs her practice when clients want to connect faith and everyday choices. She offers practical guidance such as problem-focused coaching, interview preparation, and suggestions about nutrition and behavior when relevant.
Shirley has long experience working with individuals, teens, marriage concerns, and people adjusting to widowhood or other major life transitions. She also teaches emotional forgiveness skills and helps people who face codependency, attachment or control issues. Shirley accepts clients who prefer to work in English and is open to international clients.
To begin, Shirley follows a stepwise process: identify the immediate concern, test small behavioral or relational changes, and review what worked. That approach keeps sessions concrete and aimed at real-life improvements people can notice week to week.
How Shirley blends EFT and practical approaches online
Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on identifying and naming strong emotions and the interaction patterns they create. It often helps when people want to understand why they get stuck in the same relational cycles or feel emotions that are hard to name.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early connection patterns influence current relationships. It can be useful for people who notice recurring trust, closeness, or avoidance problems. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes the person's perspective and pacing, helping people set the agenda and move at a rate they find manageable.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shirley will discuss options and decide together what fits the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process can include combining emotional focus, attachment work, and practical CBT techniques when appropriate.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm the available online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten check-ins when time is limited, and avoid travel time. Licensed professionals often use online sessions to maintain continuity of care when schedules or locations change, and Shirley frames sessions to be practical and applicable to everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
43+ years
Listed in
Indiana
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, depression, and related life changes.
What therapy approaches does she use?
She lists Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, cognitive behavioral methods, and Motivational Interviewing.
How much experience does she have?
She has 43 years of professional experience in counseling and social work.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds LMFT and LCSW credentials in Indiana and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported and can she work with clients outside the US?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; confirm current session options with Shirley before scheduling.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to get started?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.