- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Guilt and shame
About Shirley
Shirley Marks is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Tennessee with 44 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing addictions, relationship and family concerns, low self-esteem, stress, anxiety, and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar. Shirley also addresses issues around grief, intimacy, eating concerns, career stress, and concerns tied to identity and discrimination.
She helps people talk through what led to their current struggles. Sessions focus on practical steps, clearer communication, and sorting out patterns that maintain pain. Shirley pays attention to how family history, culture, and prejudice shape choices and feelings.
Her work includes helping people manage problems from process or substance-related addictions, codependency, domestic violence histories, and infidelity. She also supports those dealing with guilt and shame, forgiveness questions, and complex family of origin issues.
Shirley uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide sessions toward measurable changes. Conversations emphasize concrete skills like coping strategies, healthier boundaries, and communication tools. She aims to help clients notice small, manageable shifts that reduce overwhelm.
People who reach out will complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session. Costs vary with location and use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
How therapeutic approaches guide online sessions
Shirley uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to focus sessions on clear skills and practical change. One common approach is skills-based work that teaches coping strategies, communication tools, and ways to manage cravings or strong emotions. This helps when problems are driven by habits, stress, or relationship patterns.Another approach emphasizes examining family of origin and relational patterns to understand current reactions. That kind of work helps people trace how past experiences shape guilt, shame, and repeated behaviors, and then practice different responses in daily life.
Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. Shirley will work with each person to identify goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust the plan over time based on what is helpful. The aim is to find an approach that responds to the client's needs and preferences.
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Confirm the available session options before booking so you know whether phone or video meetings are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people join from different locations within the same state. Licensed professionals use these formats to make regular work on issues like guilt, shame, addictions, and relationship problems more practical.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Experience
44+ years
Listed in
Tennessee
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Shirley work with?
She helps adults with addictions, relationships, family conflicts, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, grief, intimacy issues, eating concerns, and career stress.
How does she approach therapy?
She uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques and focuses on practical skills like communication, boundaries, and coping strategies.
How much experience does she have?
Shirley has 44 years of professional experience working with a wide range of behavioral and relationship concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LMFT licensed in Tennessee and practices from that state.
Can I have sessions in another language or from another country?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats; confirm current session options before booking to know whether phone or video visits are available.
How are costs handled?
Costs vary with location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.