Shirley King

I'm Shirley, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 8 years of experience and a deep commitment to showing up for clients who've too often felt like an afterthought in mental health spaces. As a counselor of color practicing across Florida via telehealth, I specialize in working with adults navigating anxiety, depression, grief, shame, and the kind of soul-level exhaustion that comes from carrying too much for too long. My approach is warm, direct, and grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - meaning we'll do more than just talk about your problems; we'll actively work to change the thought patterns and behaviors keeping you stuck. I also honor the role that culture, spirituality, and lived experience play in your healing. And while I take our work seriously, I don't take myself too seriously - if laughter shows up in session, I welcome it. Healing doesn't have to be relentlessly heavy.

My work is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which means we'll identify the specific thoughts, beliefs, and patterns that are feeding your anxiety, depression, or self-doubt - and build real skills to shift them. But CBT isn't the whole picture. I bring a trauma-informed lens to everything I do, which means I understand that your current struggles rarely exist in isolation from your history. I work collaboratively. You set the direction; I help you find the tools and insight to move in it. I'll challenge you when it serves you, but I'll never push faster than you're ready to go. I also think therapy works best when it connects to your whole life — your values, your relationships, your sense of purpose - not just your symptoms. Sessions are telehealth, so you can show up from wherever you feel most comfortable.

Expect a real conversation - not a formal intake questionnaire and not a one-sided interrogation. In our first session, I want to get to know you: what brought you here, what you've already tried, and what you actually want your life to look like. I'll share a little about how I work so you can decide whether I feel like a good fit. You don't need to have everything figured out before we meet. You don't need the "right" words. Most clients leave the first session feeling heard and clearer about what we're going to work on together - which is exactly the goal. We'll close by identifying 1–2 priorities and talking about what a realistic cadence looks like for you. By the end, therapy should feel less like an unknown and more like a plan.