Shirley Southard, LCMHC

Shirley Southard is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) with 20 years in human services. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, depression, ADHD, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting strain, and life transitions. She also addresses issues like jealousy, isolation, impulsivity, and substance-related problems.

Shirley listens without judgment and builds a warm, accepting space for honest conversation. She aims to help people identify small, realistic steps they can take to feel better and move forward. Sessions focus on what matters to each person and on practical change that fits real life.

Her approach draws on client-centered methods that prioritize the person’s goals and experience. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot patterns that keep problems going, and Motivational Interviewing to strengthen readiness for change. Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills appear when people need tools for emotion regulation and staying present.

Shirley has worked across mental health, developmental disability, and substance use settings. Her background includes assisted medication management and experience with active military members and their families. She has supported people through divorce, single parenting, mood disorders, addictions, grief, and related challenges.

Shirley works from North Carolina and communicates in English. She welcomes international clients through the service. Prospective clients can expect straightforward, compassionate care focused on practical steps and clearer next moves.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Shirley uses Client-Centered Therapy to make space for each person’s priorities and choices. This approach means the therapist listens, reflects, and follows what matters most to the client so goals emerge from the person’s own values and needs.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with practical alternatives. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and patterns that keep problems repeating. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used when emotion regulation and distress tolerance are needed; these skills help people manage intense feelings and improve reactions in stressful moments.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Shirley will collaborate with each client to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as progress is made.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session options before booking. The platform supports international connections, but specific formats should be checked in the therapist’s profile. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce the need to travel. Many people find skills practice and behavioral tasks translate well to remote sessions, and Shirley focuses on practical techniques that clients can use between meetings.