David Shirly, LMHC
Practical narrative therapy for everyday struggles
Details
| Name | David Shirly |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMHC |
| Based in | Florida |
| Licensed in | Florida, New York |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About David
David Shirly is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Florida with a decade of experience. He uses Narrative and client-centered ideas to help people talk about what matters most to them. He focuses on clear, practical steps so people can manage stress, anxiety, addiction, and low mood.
He helps people with relationship and intimacy concerns, anger, sleep trouble, parenting strain, and self-esteem struggles. He also supports those coping with trauma, abuse, attention challenges, and substance use.
Background and approach
Sessions aim to make daily life easier and more manageable. His style starts by listening to each person’s story and noticing patterns that cause pain. From there he and the client map out small changes and skills to try.
Those tools can include cognitive strategies, emotion regulation skills, and ways to shift unhelpful stories people tell about themselves. David draws on Narrative Therapy alongside client-centered, cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavior, and emotionally-focused approaches. That mix allows him to adapt to different concerns and personalities.
He works in straightforward language and avoids jargon so sessions stay practical and clear. People can expect a collaborative process where goals are set together. Sessions move at a pace that fits the client, with a focus on problem solving and greater self-understanding.
David aims to support lasting change through steady, realistic steps.
What this therapist works with
His listing names Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship issues among the things David works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Anger management
- Depression
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in his listing among his approaches.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by David among the ways he works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask David directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how he works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking David directly how he uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and skills-based approaches work online
David uses Narrative Therapy to help people tell and retell the stories that shape their lives, looking for alternative plots that reduce shame and increase agency. This method can be useful for relationship patterns, identity questions, attachment wounds, and issues around intimacy and abandonment.He also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, listening-focused space where the client leads the conversation and the therapist follows. That approach helps people feel heard and clearer about their goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is part of his toolkit for practical change - identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and addictive patterns.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. David will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and past experiences to shape which methods to use. He adapts the mix over time so therapy stays relevant and useful.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging. Video lets people work visually and practice communication in real time. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging support ongoing check-ins, brief coaching between sessions, and flexibility around schedules. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and keep continuity when travel or relocation occurs.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does David address?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, depression, trauma and abuse, intimacy and sleeping issues, parenting strain, self-esteem, and ADHD.
What is his therapeutic style like?
His approach centers on Narrative and client-centered methods paired with cognitive and emotion-focused techniques to make sense of life stories and teach practical coping skills.
How much experience does he have?
He has 10 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of emotional and behavioral concerns.
Where is he licensed and located?
He is a licensed mental health counselor with NY LMHC and FL LMHC credentials and practices from Florida.
Which languages and clients are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and he accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist matching; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with him?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with David are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including David where he has space. Ask about fees, and whether he holds a licence or registration where you live.
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