- Trauma and abuse
- Grief and loss
- Anger and stress
About Kimberly
Kimberly Birrell is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in Michigan with 30 years of counseling experience. She has spent the last decade working with combat military clients and has focused much of her practice on trauma and abuse. She also addresses anger, depression, grief and loss, anxiety, and addiction.
Kimberly works with people facing life transitions and the stress those bring. She talks through issues such as coping with aging, caregiver strain, and career concerns. She also supports people dealing with relationship and intimacy-related struggles, attachment or abandonment wounds, and questions around gender identity.
Her approach favors evidence-based therapeutic techniques that target symptoms and patterns. Sessions aim to identify how past events shape current feelings and behaviors. She helps people notice repeated responses, test different ways of coping, and practice clearer communication.
Kimberly has experience with first responder issues, dissociation, and surviving abuse. She helps people who face control issues, emptiness, or commitment fears. She also works with those managing bipolar disorder and depression alongside other life stressors.
Practical plans and short- and long-term goals are part of how she structures work. Expect straightforward conversation about what is happening, steps to try between sessions, and regular check-ins on progress. The focus is on reducing the load guilt or shame can add to daily life.
Her work includes coaching-style support when useful, and attention to sleep, eating, and substance concerns. People who want a clear plan and steady clinical experience may find this approach helpful.
How therapeutic approaches and online sessions fit together
Kimberly uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on how past experiences affect present behavior. These approaches look at patterns of thinking and feeling tied to trauma and teach practical ways to respond differently in daily life. They can help with anger, anxiety, addiction, and the lingering effects of abuse and grief.She also applies trauma-focused work that attends to intense memories and the ways they show up now. That work involves pacing, grounding skills, and identifying triggers so people can try safer ways of reacting. For mood conditions like depression or bipolar disorder she combines symptom-focused strategies with planning around sleep, eating, and activity to reduce day-to-day strain.
Finding the right mix of techniques is part of the process. She will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort level. Treatment plans are adjusted as progress and preferences become clearer.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm which formats are offered before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy schedule, shorten check-ins, or avoid commuting. Therapists and licensed professionals often use remote work to keep continuity of care when life is unpredictable, but confirm the practical options available for scheduling and participation with Kimberly before you book.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with trauma and abuse, grief, anger, anxiety, addiction, depression, and life transitions among other issues listed in her profile.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses evidence-based techniques to map how past events influence current feelings and to try different coping responses in session and between meetings.
What is her professional background and experience?
She holds an LMSW and has 30 years of counseling experience, including ten years working with combat military clients.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a Michigan LMSW and practices in Michigan.
Does she work in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.