Therapist profile
Shirley Souder, LMFT, LCSW
Indiana
LMFT and LCSW - Relationships and Codependency
Continue with ShirleyWhere Shirley stands
- Credentials
- LMFT, LCSW
- License
- LMFT, Indiana / 35001030A; LCSW, Indiana / 34002624A
- NPI
- 1184863508
- Experience
- 43 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Indiana
About
- Reality Therapy focus
- Christian counseling integration
- Emotional forgiveness skills
About Shirley
Shirley Souder is an LMFT and LCSW licensed in Indiana with 43 years of clinical experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, addictions, grief, intimacy-related issues, parenting concerns, anger, career questions, depression, ADHD, and codependency. Shirley combines practical problem-solving with values-based perspectives to help people make changes they choose.
She draws on Reality Therapy ideas to look at how current behaviors help or hinder goals. That plain question - what are you doing, how is it working, and when do you want to change - shapes sessions. She also integrates Christian counseling principles for clients who want to include spiritual resources in their work.
Sessions often focus on concrete skills. Shirley teaches ways to apply scripture in daily decisions, practices for emotional forgiveness, strategies for handling difficult people, and techniques for healthier communication. She also covers practical life skills such as job interview preparation and basic nutrition ideas when those topics matter to a client’s goals.
Shirley has long experience with adults facing life transitions, including widows and widowers adapting to new routines. She works with individual concerns and with relationship issues, emphasizing clear steps a person can take to change patterns that cause pain.
People who meet with her can expect straightforward conversation, specific tools to try between sessions, and discussion about how values and beliefs influence choices. She invites clients to set clear, realistic goals and to experiment with different ways of responding to old problems.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Attachment-Based Therapy emphasizes understanding relationship patterns and emotional bonds. Online sessions can be used to notice how people describe their close relationships, practice new ways of responding, and rehearse setting boundaries or asking for needs to be met.Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following a person’s agenda. In remote sessions this means letting clients lead the topics while the therapist reflects and helps clarify feelings and goals, which can feel useful when sorting out people-pleasing or codependent patterns.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts, feelings, and actions. Online work can include identifying unhelpful thinking, trying behavioral experiments between sessions, and tracking small changes to see what helps reduce anxiety or improve decision making.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to decide which methods fit a client’s needs, goals, and preferences, and will adjust strategies as progress is observed.
Confirm current session formats before booking because the biography does not list them. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example a shorter check-in during a lunch break, not needing travel time, or avoiding video if that feels uncomfortable. These practical benefits can help people keep consistent work on setting boundaries, managing reactions, and changing patterns.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
43+ years
Listed in
Indiana
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, addictions, grief, intimacy-related concerns, parenting issues, anger, career worries, depression, ADHD, and codependency among other focus areas.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Her style uses Reality Therapy questions to look at current behavior and choices, combined with client-centered conversation and practical skills training.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 43 years of experience working in counseling and related roles.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She holds LMFT and LCSW credentials, licensed in Indiana, and practices with that state licensure listed.
Are sessions available in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does accept international clients.
How are sessions scheduled and what formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific session formats.
How much do sessions cost and how do payments work?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.