- Client-Centered Therapy
- Mindfulness techniques
- Motivational interviewing
About Shirley
Shirley Ikenze is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 26 years of experience. She works with people coping with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, life changes, parenting concerns, and issues like guilt and shame.
She begins from a belief that each person knows their story best and has strengths to build on. In sessions she listens for those strengths and helps people use them to face painful memories or difficult decisions. Conversations focus on practical steps and clearer choices rather than labels or judgments.
Her approach draws from client-centered work, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, narrative therapy, and solution-focused techniques. That means sessions often include listening deeply to an experience, noticing present thoughts and feelings, and finding short-term steps that move things forward. She can also help people reframe difficult stories so they feel less defining.
Shirley has long experience supporting people through loss, caregiving strain, family of origin difficulties, relationship endings, and career stress. She also addresses concerns such as abandonment, adoption and foster care issues, sleep problems, anger, and forgiveness questions. She incorporates faith as a personal resource when clients bring it up, without imposing beliefs.
Practical matters are part of her work. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Prospective clients are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and provide basic identification details as required by California regulations before the first appointment.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what matters to a person. In practice that means the therapist listens for strengths and priorities and follows the client's pace to set goals and next steps. Mindfulness Therapy involves simple attention practices and noticing the body's responses to thoughts. It can help with anxiety, sleep problems, and strong emotions by teaching short exercises to use between sessions.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit the person's preferences, and adjust the work as needed. That shared planning helps pick practical next steps and keeps the work focused on what the client wants to change.
The biography does not list which online session formats are used, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a workday, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter or more frequent check-ins when needed. Therapists and licensed professionals often use these advantages to help people practice skills between meetings and to keep momentum during stressful periods.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
26+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, life changes, parenting concerns, and related issues such as guilt and shame.
How would she approach shame or guilt?
She uses client-centered listening plus mindfulness and narrative techniques to help people notice feelings and reframe painful self-stories. Work often focuses on practical steps and renewed perspectives.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 26 years of professional experience working with a wide range of concerns including grief, trauma, and family issues.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Choose the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session. The California Board also requires providing certain identification details before the first appointment.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.