About Shirley
Shirley Butler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 23 years of experience in mental health care. She practices from Montana and has worked in community mental health, Tribal Behavioral Health, and a independent practice she opened in 2013. Shirley values cultural diversity and brings a calm, curious presence to sessions.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services Rehabilitation from Salish Kootenai College and a Master of Social Work from Walla Walla University.
Background and approach
After earning her MSW, she completed the required supervised clinical hours before obtaining her clinical license. That background supports her steady, experienced approach to common concerns like anxiety and depression. In sessions Shirley focuses on listening first and building a trusting relationship.
She works with each person to create a plan that fits their life and goals. She emphasizes telling your story and choosing what to explore together. Her work covers stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting strain, relationship struggles, self-esteem, and life transitions.
Shirley also addresses issues such as codependency, abandonment, commitment concerns, communication problems, and forgiveness. She uses several approaches to help people practice new ways of coping and relating. Clients can expect clear goals, steady support, and tools they can use between sessions.
Shirley welcomes conversations about what feels most helpful for each person.
Approach and Online Support for Anxiety and Life Stress
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early bonds shape current relationships and emotional responses, helping people understand patterns that affect trust and closeness. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening without judgment and following the client's lead, which can help with self-esteem and finding personal goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which is often useful for anxiety and mood concerns.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Shirley will talk through goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, then suggest approaches to try. That collaborative process helps match methods to the person's needs rather than assuming one path fits everyone.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect: video calls for face-to-face conversation, phone sessions for lower bandwidth or simpler check-ins, live chat for shorter back-and-forths, and text-based messaging for ongoing support between visits. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, family demands, or travel. Combined with practical tools from approaches like CBT and attachment-focused work, remote sessions can support steady progress on anxiety, stress, grief, and relationship concerns.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Self-love
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 23 years
- Licensed
- Montana
- Languages
- English
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