In our modern world, many people experience loneliness, anxiety, and pain. Often, their focus will shift to material things, or to other people, rather than focusing on themselves – “Why did he/she do that to me?” They avoid introspection and connecting with their inner selves. Shiri Shapira-Simchi helps her clients improve the most important relationship in their lives, which is with themselves. When they get to know themselves and find self-compassion and self-acceptance, they start feeling whole and happier, and their relationships with others improve as a result.
Shiri believes that the most important thing in therapy is the connection between the client and the therapist. Clients must feel comfortable and trust their therapist. Shiri offers her clients empathy, authenticity, and acceptance, without judgment or criticism. She helps her clients examine the “stories” they tell themselves against the objective reality. Many times, those “stories” are only in their minds, based on their personal experience and history, and have no connection to reality. When they realize that, they can change their narrative.
Shiri believes that there is always hope, even in the most difficult situations. She, herself, faced such difficulties in the past and through therapy she found strength and hope. Now she guides her clients in their journey of healing.
At Foundations Counseling, Shiri works with variety of clients who seek services, including:
· Individual Counseling – self-esteem, anxiety, depression, self-worth issues, PTSD, drug and alcohol abuse and addiction recovery, trauma, anger management, personality disorders, issues of race and multiculturalism, divorce recovery
· Marriage and Couples Counseling – attachment issues, communication, intimacy, affair recovery, pre-martial counseling, sexual issues, second marriage, divorce recovery
· Children, Adolescents, and Teens – self-esteem and self-worth issues, cutting/self-injury, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, drugs and alcohol, school and family issues, ADD/ADHD, criminal behavior, social and relationship problems, PTSD, play therapy, trauma, body image, loss of a parent, effects of divorce
· Parenting Issues – setting and holding boundaries, family system issues, authoritative parenting, co-parenting, communication, parenting challenges, trust, and understanding
· Life Transitions – life stages, end-of-life and grief issues, disability issues, empty-nest syndrome, geographical transitions, job transition, new parents, retirement, sex-change, terminal illness, loss of a loved one, miscarriage
Shiri Shapira-Simchi is a Clinical Social Worker from Israel and registered as a Licensed Social Worker in Colorado. She has a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Social Work from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from Tel-Aviv University in Israel. Shiri completed certificate studies in a two-year program for kids and youth therapy, with a specialization in youth, at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. She also completed additional certificate studies in a 1-year program for play therapy with Synergetic Play Therapy Institute.
Shiri has over 25 years of experience as a therapist. For the first 10 years, she worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer. In this position, she worked with teens and their families dealing with conditions such as trauma, abuse, addictions, criminal behavior, and boundaries. Shiri provided her clients with individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.
After relocating to the United States, Shiri lived in California and supported individuals and couples from the Israeli community with immigration, relationship, and parenting issues. 5 years ago, she moved to Colorado and worked for a year with DUI offenders. Most of those clients suffered from drug or alcohol abuse and Shiri worked with individuals and groups, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles. Most recently, she worked for 2.5 years in a private clinic with a variety of clients, ages 5-70, treating conditions such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, suicide ideation, relationships, and other mental health issues.
Shiri lives in Colorado with her husband, 2 teenage boys, 2 dogs, and 3 cats. In her free time, she enjoys writing, reading, walking her dogs, and meeting with people she loves.