Shirley Williams

Shirley Williams is a Colorado-based licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing grief, trauma, relationship struggles, and major life changes. She brings 35 years of experience and mixes practical tools with gentle, down-to-earth support. Shirley draws on a variety of methods to match each person's needs and pace.

She trained in psychology and social work at Wayne State University and completed an early intensive family therapy program in Michigan. Over decades she has worked in health care settings, hospice, schools, foster care and adoption services, and pregnancy support programs. That range shaped a practice comfortable with both medical and emotional care needs.

Shirley also completed a 1,000-hour massage therapy program and held national certification and a Colorado license in massage and bodywork. Those skills inform a somatic perspective that links body awareness to emotional processing. This is often useful for people coping with chronic illness, caregiving strain, and end-of-life issues.

Her clinical approach includes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, narrative work, and trauma-focused therapy. She sometimes uses expressive tools such as sound, movement, clay, and other creative options in sessions. Shirley reports positive results using the Flash Technique within trauma resolution work.

Shirley aims to be curious, practical, and collaborative in sessions. She helps people talk through relationship problems, anxiety, ADHD-related concerns, self-esteem struggles, and caregiving stress. Clients leave with clearer plans and skills they can use day to day.

How EMDR and Narrative Work Translate Online

EMDR uses guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation to help process distressing memories and reduce their emotional charge; it can be useful for post-traumatic stress, abuse, and persistent trauma symptoms. Narrative therapy focuses on separating a person from their problems by telling and reframing life stories to uncover strengths and new possibilities. Trauma-focused therapy zeroes in on the effects of trauma and teaches skills to manage reactions while gradually working through painful memories.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Shirley will talk with each person about their history, goals, and preferences and suggest methods that fit their needs. She adapts interventions over time so the work remains practical and tolerable for the individual.

If you are considering online options, confirm the session formats offered before booking since specific formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow brief check-ins when schedules are tight. For some trauma work, creative tools and movement exercises can be adapted to virtual sessions, while other techniques may be reserved for in-person visits depending on what the therapist offers.