Shirley Ikenze , LCSW

Shirley Ikenze is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with 26 years of professional experience. She focuses on supporting people who are facing stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and difficult life transitions or changes in relationships. Shirley emphasizes a strengths-based approach, holding that each person is the expert of their own story and already carries resources that can help them move forward.

She frames therapy as a collaborative process that begins with courage and small steps toward a more fulfilling life. In sessions Shirley aims to offer support and empowerment so clients can clarify goals, rebuild confidence, and develop practical coping strategies. She also expresses a general spiritual belief in the Almighty across traditions and states that she does not politicize her faith or practice any form of religious extremism. She references 2 Corinthians 1:4 as a reminder of giving and receiving comfort.

Shirley is licensed in California and brings decades of experience to her work as an LCSW, which means she is trained to assess, diagnose, and provide clinical social work services for a range of emotional and relational concerns. She is not currently accepting new clients.

Therapeutic approaches Shirley uses for online care

Shirley draws on client-centered therapy to create a supportive space where the client leads the pace and direction of work. This approach focuses on active listening and empathy, helping people clarify their own goals and build on their strengths to address issues like relationship change, grief, and low self-esteem.

She also incorporates mindfulness therapy, which teaches present-moment awareness and practical techniques for reducing stress and managing anxiety or intrusive memories. Mindfulness practices can help clients interrupt unhelpful patterns and improve emotional regulation in daily life.

Motivational interviewing is used when clients want help resolving ambivalence about change. Through guided conversation Shirley helps clients explore values, strengthen motivation, and set realistic steps toward goals such as improving sleep, addressing substance use, or making career and family decisions.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaborative process. Shirley works with each person to identify methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts strategies over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for busy schedules, reduces travel time, and makes it easier to maintain consistent care. These formats allow licensed professionals and therapists to provide support in ways that fit a client’s life while focusing on meaningful, goal-oriented work.