- Stress and anxiety
- Addictions and recovery
- Attachment focused work
About Shirley
Shirley Butcher is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in Minnesota with six years of clinical experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, and issues that include guilt and shame.
Shirley draws on practical, real-world skills developed in behavioral health and substance use work. She focuses on how past experiences and relationships shape current feelings. Sessions look at patterns such as attachment wounds, codependency, control issues, and family of origin problems that often feed guilt and shame.
Her approach mixes client-centered conversation with skills-based work. That means listening without judgment and also teaching tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to manage overwhelming emotions. For trauma that remains stuck, she uses EMDR as a way to process painful memories.
Shirley pays attention to how identity and relationship history affect self-blame, emptiness, and struggles with forgiveness. She also supports people working through separation, divorce, domestic violence, and body image concerns that often tie into shame.
In sessions clients can expect practical steps alongside reflective conversation. Shirley aims to help people recognize patterns, build coping skills, and make clearer decisions about relationships and recovery. She practices in Minnesota and conducts work in English.
How therapy approaches translate to online sessions
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shaped expectations about closeness and trust. In an online session this is explored through conversation about current relationships, patterns of seeking or avoiding closeness, and small experiments to try between sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments. Online, CBT often uses brief worksheets, thought records, and agreed homework to change thinking and behavior between meetings. EMDR is a trauma-focused approach that helps process distressing memories; when used it follows a clear step-by-step method to reduce the intensity of traumatic reactions.Choosing the right approach is collaborative. The therapist will discuss what feels most relevant to the client, consider prior treatment and goals, and adjust methods over time. That means skills work, reflective talk, or trauma processing can be combined as needed to match what the person brings.
Confirm the current session formats before booking so you know how meetings are held. Many people find online sessions useful because they fit into a workday, cut travel time, and make it easier to keep regular appointments. Others appreciate options that reduce the need to be on camera or allow shorter check-ins when time is tight. Talk with the therapist about practical needs and scheduling so sessions fit into everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
Minnesota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of guilt or shame does she address?
She works with guilt and shame tied to relationships, past actions, family history, faith, and ongoing struggles like addiction and body image.
How does she approach feelings of shame in sessions?
Her style blends client-centered conversation with skills training from CBT and DBT so people both talk through feelings and practice tools to manage them.
How much experience does she have with trauma and addiction?
She has six years of experience in behavioral health and alcohol and drug counseling, including work with people who have experienced trauma.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is an LPCC, listed as MN LPCC, and she practices in Minnesota.
Does she see people who do not speak English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a 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.