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LMFT

Dr. Andrea Shirley, LMFT

  • Experience27 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and LGBT
  • Therapy approachesClient-Centered Therapy and Narrative Therapy
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Check the available next steps for working with Andrea online.

About Andrea

Dr. Andrea Shirley focuses on helping people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, and other life challenges.

Background and approach

She centers the work on each person's strengths and perspective, supporting clients as they make changes toward a more satisfying life. Dr.

Shirley emphasizes that individuals know their own stories and collaborates with them to build on resilience and resources rather than positioning the therapist as the sole expert.

With 27 years of professional experience as an LMFT licensed in California (CA LMFT 42752), she brings a steady, compassionate presence to concerns including grief, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, sleep and anger problems, career transitions, compassion fatigue, and ADHD.

Her broader focus also covers adoption and foster care, attachment and blended family issues, chronic illness and caregiver stress, body image, and separation or divorce matters. She aims to help clients find practical approaches and meaning through client-centered, narrative, solution-focused, and trauma-informed work.

How therapeutic approaches adapt to online care

Dr. Shirley commonly draws on client-centered therapy and solution-focused therapy when working with clients online. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathic listening and supporting each person’s sense of agency, which helps when addressing issues like anxiety, relationship concerns, or self-esteem. Solution-focused therapy concentrates on specific goals and practical steps, making it useful for people seeking clear strategies for sleep, career changes, or coping with life transitions.

Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist works with each client to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts the focus over time based on what proves most helpful. This partnership helps tailor sessions to address concerns such as trauma, grief, ADHD-related challenges, or compassion fatigue in ways that feel manageable and relevant.

Online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging offer practical flexibility for people balancing work, caregiving, or geographic constraints. These options make it easier to maintain consistent care and to try different session rhythms and formats until a sustainable pattern is found with a licensed professional.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Dr. Shirley address?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationship and family conflicts, grief, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, intimacy-related struggles, sleep and anger difficulties, career transitions, compassion fatigue, and ADHD.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Her approach emphasizes the client as the expert of their own story and combines client-centered listening with narrative and solution-focused techniques to help clients identify strengths and practical steps forward.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 27 years of professional experience working with adults across many life and relational concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with the credential CA LMFT 42752 and practices in California.
Does she provide services in other languages or to international clients?
She provides services in English and is not accepting international clients at this time.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How are sessions priced and paid for?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions are offered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
To get started select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsSelf esteem

Also works with

Trauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

27+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English