Therapist profile
Shirley Marks, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - Family and parenting focus
Continue with ShirleyAbout
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
About Shirley
Shirley Marks is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Tennessee with 44 years of professional experience. She helps people dealing with addictions, relationship strain, family concerns, self-esteem struggles, stress, anxiety, grief, and mood issues such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Shirley focuses on practical conversation and steady support. Sessions are aimed at helping people talk through difficult moments, sort priorities, and find clearer ways to respond to conflict and loss. She uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide those conversations and to address issues like process addictions, substance use, and intimacy-related problems.
People also come to her for help with communication problems, codependency, and family-of-origin concerns. She assists clients working through infidelity, forgiveness, guilt, shame, and the effects of prejudice or multicultural stressors. Her work includes addressing domestic violence histories and women's issues when they arise in a person's life.
Shirley encourages straightforward goal-setting and practical coping strategies. She supports exploration of career stress, eating concerns, and coping with life changes. Conversations aim to be honest and clear so clients can experiment with new behaviors between sessions.
Sessions are conducted in English and Shirley does not accept international clients. Costs vary with location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session using the See online therapy options button.
How sessions work
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
Shirley draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to structure sessions. One common approach she uses focuses on clear, goal-oriented work that identifies behaviors to change and steps to practice between sessions. This kind of approach helps with addictions, process behaviors, and habit patterns that affect daily life.Another approach emphasizes emotional processing and communication skills. It helps people talk through grief, relationship strain, guilt, and shame, and teaches concrete ways to respond differently in tense conversations. These techniques are useful for family-of-origin issues, intimacy concerns, and multicultural stressors.
Finding the right fit is a collaborative process. Shirley works with each person to choose which approaches make sense for their situation and goals. She checks in about progress and adjusts the methods as needed so the work stays practical and focused.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the current online options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to schedule sessions around daily life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Discuss format preferences during the matching and scheduling steps to pick what fits your routine.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Experience
44+ years
Listed in
Tennessee
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with people facing addictions, relationship and family concerns, self-esteem issues, stress, anxiety, grief, depression, bipolar disorder, and intimacy-related problems.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She uses practical, evidence-based techniques and conversational work to help clients sort feelings, set goals, and try new ways of handling conflict and stress.
How much experience does she have?
She has 44 years of professional work experience as a therapist in Tennessee.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Tennessee LMFT and practices in Tennessee.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.