- 27 years experience
- LMFT California
- Grief and coping
About Andrea
Dr. Andrea Shirley helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, and relationship strain. She is a California-licensed marriage and family therapist with 27 years of experience who aims to make the first step feel less daunting. Her style is straightforward and respectful, focusing on what matters most to each person.
She listens for the story you bring and works with you to build on your strengths. Sessions focus on practical steps you can try between meetings and on understanding patterns that keep problems repeating. Her work often centers on coping with life changes, grief, caregiver strain, and issues connected to identity and intimacy.
Dr. Shirley uses a mix of tried approaches to match each person's needs. She helps people rewrite unhelpful stories, set small achievable goals, and explore how past events affect current feelings. Trauma-informed methods are included when people have strong reactions related to past hurt.
Her background includes long-term clinical practice across a range of concerns, from chronic illness and caregiving stress to attachment and adoption-related issues. This experience shapes a practical, flexible way of working that aims to reduce overwhelming feelings and increase daily functioning.
People who come for counseling can expect a collaborative process. Sessions focus on clear goals, pacing that fits what a person can handle, and step-by-step strategies for coping. To begin, follow the site's intake steps to match with her and schedule an initial session.
She listens for the story you bring and works with you to build on your strengths. Sessions focus on practical steps you can try between meetings and on understanding patterns that keep problems repeating. Her work often centers on coping with life changes, grief, caregiver strain, and issues connected to identity and intimacy.
Dr. Shirley uses a mix of tried approaches to match each person's needs. She helps people rewrite unhelpful stories, set small achievable goals, and explore how past events affect current feelings. Trauma-informed methods are included when people have strong reactions related to past hurt.
Her background includes long-term clinical practice across a range of concerns, from chronic illness and caregiving stress to attachment and adoption-related issues. This experience shapes a practical, flexible way of working that aims to reduce overwhelming feelings and increase daily functioning.
People who come for counseling can expect a collaborative process. Sessions focus on clear goals, pacing that fits what a person can handle, and step-by-step strategies for coping. To begin, follow the site's intake steps to match with her and schedule an initial session.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Trauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
27+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Approaches that guide online counseling
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding your experience and building on your strengths to make changes that feel right for you. It is useful for stress, self-esteem, and relationship concerns. Narrative therapy helps people look at the stories they tell about themselves and then try new ways of describing challenges and choices. This can be helpful for identity questions, grief, and repeated patterns that feel stuck.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then collaborate on a plan that fits those needs. That plan can include short-term goals, practical steps to try between sessions, and adjustments if something isn’t working.
Confirm which session formats are offered before booking since formats are not detailed in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and let people check in from a quieter space or on a break from work. It also allows ongoing work through life transitions, grief, and caregiver stress without reshuffling daily routines.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
She helps people work through stress, anxiety, grief, trauma and relationship issues, plus caregiver strain and identity-related concerns.
What is her approach in sessions?
She uses client-centered listening combined with narrative and solution-focused techniques to set practical goals and reframe difficult stories.
What kind of experience does she have?
She has 27 years of professional experience in clinical practice, including work with grief, chronic illness, and caregiving stress.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist - LMFT - practicing in California.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
Which session formats are available?
Confirm current session options before booking as the biography does not specify formats here.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.