Shirley Butler

Shirley Butler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 23 years of experience in mental health. She practices from a private practice she opened in 2013 and has a long history working in community mental health and Tribal Behavioral Health. Shirley is a Native American clinician who has lived and worked across different cultures, and she brings that life experience into her work.

She earned a Bachelor of Human Services Rehabilitation from Salish Kootenai College and a Master of Social Work from Walla Walla University in Missoula, Montana. After graduate school she completed three thousand supervised clinical hours before sitting for the clinical license exam and has continued to focus on clinical work since then.

Her work often centers on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. She also addresses relationship concerns, parenting, grief, anger, career questions, and bipolar-related issues. Additional topics she sees include abandonment, codependency, commitment issues, communication problems, forgiveness, post-traumatic stress, self-love, and women's issues.

Shirley favors building a strong rapport first, then co-creating a treatment plan that fits each person. She uses approaches such as Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Emotionally-Focused Therapy to shape sessions around what a person needs.

She values the healing that comes from telling one’s story and naming what to work on. Shirley invites people to explore concerns at a pace that feels right and to collaborate on goals and next steps.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people understand connection needs, trust, and how relationship history affects present choices. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person in the room and follows their pace. The therapist listens without judgment and helps people find their own insights and next steps.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shirley will discuss options and help decide which methods fit a person's needs, goals, and preferences. This is a collaborative process and may change as progress is made.

The biography does not specify which session formats are offered online, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions helpful because they can fit therapy around work, family, and travel. Remote sessions can make shorter check-ins easier, cut commute time, and allow meeting from wherever it best fits a person's schedule.