About Shirley
Shirley Subryan is a licensed professional counselor with 11 years of clinical experience in the Washington, D.C. area. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, and anger. Shirley aims to meet each person with respect, sensitivity, and compassion as they take steps toward feeling better.
Her style is practical and person-centered. She listens first to understand what matters most to each individual. Then she tailors conversations and a plan that fit someone's life, not a one-size approach.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on clear goals and realistic steps people can try between meetings. Shirley draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to address issues like panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, and social anxiety. She also helps with attachment and abandonment concerns, body image, communication problems, forgiveness, and finding life purpose.
Work often blends emotion-focused conversation with concrete coping skills to manage difficult moments. People consulting Shirley can expect steady guidance and straightforward tools for handling grief, anger, or recurring worry. She supports building self-love and healthier patterns in relationships and daily routines.
Progress is measured in small, practical changes that feel manageable. Sessions are offered in formats that fit busy lives, and Shirley will help shape the path forward based on each person's needs. Taking the first step can feel hard, and she aims to provide calm support through that process.
How Shirley Uses Evidence-Based Techniques Online
Shirley uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide her work in ways that are straightforward and practical. One common approach focuses on teaching coping skills for anxiety and panic attacks, such as breathing techniques, step-by-step grounding, and short behavioral experiments to reduce avoidance. These tools help people manage intense moments and rebuild confidence in daily situations.Another area of focus is trauma-informed care that helps people process upsetting memories and reduce their emotional intensity. This involves pacing, building safety skills, and practicing new ways of responding to reminders of past events. It can be helpful for post-traumatic stress and reactions tied to abuse or loss.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Shirley will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and how they respond to different techniques, and then adjust the plan over time. She aims to match methods to what feels most useful and doable for the individual.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let people read facial cues and hold longer conversations. Phone sessions can work well when bandwidth is limited or someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging suit quick check-ins, short coaching-style support, or ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, family, and daily life.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
Also listed
- Experience
- 11 years
- Licensed
- District of Columbia
- Languages
- English