Shirley Souder, LMFT, LCSW

Shirley Souder is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed clinical social worker in Indiana with 43 years of clinical experience. She blends practical, question-driven therapy with faith-informed guidance to help people facing stress, loss, relationship strain, and life transitions. Shirley uses straightforward conversation to identify what a person is doing now, what they want to change, and practical next steps they can try.

She draws on Reality Therapy ideas about choice and personal responsibility and combines those with principles from Christian counseling when clients welcome that perspective. Shirley also uses attachment-focused work to explore relationship patterns and cognitive-behavioral ideas to shift unhelpful thoughts and habits. Motivational interviewing helps when someone feels stuck and needs a nudge toward taking action.

Shirley has experience helping people with grief, addiction concerns, parenting strains, compassion fatigue, and coping with health challenges. She also addresses intimacy issues, self-esteem, anger, career questions, and the practical skills needed after big life changes. She often teaches emotional forgiveness skills as part of healing.

Her background includes degrees in Christian counseling and psychology, combining spiritual resources with psychological study. She offers down-to-earth coaching on everyday problems like interviewing for a job, handling difficult people, and managing behavior patterns.

People looking for a direct, values-aware therapist who asks practical questions about change may find her approach helpful. Prospective clients should confirm session formats and scheduling details before booking.

How these approaches translate to online work

Shirley uses Attachment-Based ideas to look at how patterns in relationships affect current feelings and reactions; this helps with intimacy issues, communication problems, and attachment questions. Client-Centered Therapy means sessions focus on the client's experience and pace, so she follows what matters most to the person in front of her and reflects that back to help clarity. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets the thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going, offering concrete skills people can practice between sessions.

Deciding which approach or mix of approaches will be most helpful is a collaborative process. Shirley will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and the kinds of changes they want to make, then try methods that match those goals. That way therapy stays practical and focused on steps the person can use in daily life.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let conversations happen without travel time. Licensed professionals can adapt these therapeutic methods to remote sessions, practicing skills, processing feelings, and planning changes in ways that fit a client's schedule and goals.