Education & Experience

Shira is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) and former teaching artist who holds a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Temple University, and a BFA in Theatre and Visual Arts from the University of the Arts. This educational combination of clinical counseling and Expressive Arts and Drama Therapy fuels her creative, expressive, and deeply compassionate approach to therapy.

Throughout her career, Shira has supported survivors of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and complex trauma across diverse identities and life stages. She received advanced supervision in evidence-based trauma modalities (including CPT, DBT, TF-CBT, and Prolonged Exposure) at the Joseph J. Peters Institute, worked as a counselor with the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County, and later at WOAR: The Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence, and she is currently on the certification track for EMDR and TF-CBT, with additional training in Flash Technique, IFS, TANT (Trauma Art Narrative Therapy), Pain Reprocessing Therapy, and Liberation-Focused Therapy.

As an openly queer, neurodivergent trauma survivor living with chronic pain, Shira's work includes facilitating LGBTQ+ and women’s trauma groups, offering psychoeducation for caregivers, leading state-mandated counselor trainings, and advocating for inclusive, affirming care for LGBTQ+ and disabled survivors.

Shira is currently completing advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples.