Profile / United States
Shirley Semel, LMFT
California
LMFT - Relationships and Addiction
See online therapy options- CBT strategies
- Family issues
- Relapse prevention
About Shirley
Shirley Semel is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California with eight years of practice. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationships, family concerns, addiction, grief, and related issues. She speaks English and works with adults on a range of life challenges.
She uses clear, structured talking and practical skills to identify patterns that keep people stuck. That can mean looking at thoughts and behaviors that increase worry or low mood, or at relationship habits that keep tension alive. She also draws on client-centered and psychodynamic ideas to understand personal history and current goals.
Her background includes group work on domestic violence, anger management, and addiction relapse prevention. Those experiences inform how she plans sessions and sets concrete goals. She often helps people break big problems into small, manageable steps.
Shirley pays attention to family dynamics and blended family issues. She supports people coping with chronic illness, caregiver stress, codependency, and the fallout of divorce or separation. She also addresses intimacy concerns, parenting strain, and career-related stress.
She describes some work as faith-informed when clients request it. That may include Christian counseling elements alongside clinical approaches. Clients who prefer faith perspectives can say so at the start and incorporate those values into their goals.
To begin, a short matching questionnaire is used and a first session is scheduled. Costs vary by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How Shirley uses CBT and other approaches online
Shirley integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify patterns of thinking and behavior that increase distress. CBT is practical and action-oriented, useful for anxiety, depression, and changing habits related to addiction or sleep. It focuses on small experiments and skill practice between sessions. She also uses client-centered methods that emphasize listening and building goals the person chooses. That approach helps clarify what matters most and supports motivation. Psychodynamic ideas are used at times to look at recurring relationship patterns and how past experiences influence current responses. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Shirley will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative choice can shift over time as priorities change. The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm the available options before booking. Online care can make it easier to fit sessions into a workday, avoid travel, or choose shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow a consistent appointment rhythm for people managing caregiving, health conditions, or busy schedules.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
8+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address most often?
Shirley focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, addiction, grief, and related problems such as parenting strain and intimacy issues.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to notice unhelpful thoughts and routines, then tries different ways of responding to reduce worry, low mood, or problematic behaviors.
What is her professional background?
She has eight years of clinical experience and has led groups on domestic violence, anger management, and addiction relapse prevention.
What credential and location are listed?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in California.
Which languages and international options are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats; confirm current session options before booking.
How are costs handled?
Fees vary by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
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, use the crisis numbers.