PuttingFamilyFirst

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OS Portrait of Olivia Shuttleworth
Online therapist

Olivia Shuttleworth

Experienced LICSW for practical family support

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Credentials
LICSW
Experience
33 years
Licensed in
West Virginia
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Olivia

Olivia Shuttleworth uses practical, evidence-informed therapy approaches to help people manage stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and other challenges. She is a LICSW with decades of experience in clinical and community settings. Olivia writes and speaks plainly in sessions so parents and caregivers can follow steps and apply them between meetings.

She began social work in 1985 and started providing therapy in 1989. Her background includes inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient clinics, day hospital programs, and rehabilitation work in the Veterans Affairs system.

Background and approach

She has also worked in hospice care and emergency child shelter settings, and has experience in child protective services work. Olivia has supported people facing eating disorders, serious mental health conditions, trauma, depression, and anxiety. She has helped clients handle life changes such as physical loss and bereavement.

Her practice emphasizes teaching skills that can be used at home, at school, or in daily routines. Her treatment toolbox includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness skills, and Trauma-Focused Therapy. Sessions focus on clear problem solving, coping skills, and steady emotional support.

Olivia believes that formal therapeutic support is one important part of recovery alongside other forms of help. She practices in West Virginia and works in English. With a long career across many care settings, she aims to meet people where they are and to help them build routines and strategies that make everyday life more manageable.

Approaches that translate well to online care

Olivia commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life actions to reduce symptoms like anxiety or low mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy combines emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills to help manage strong emotions and intense situations.

She also draws on Mindfulness skills to help people notice thoughts and bodily sensations without reacting immediately, which can reduce stress and improve sleep and focus. These approaches all include clear exercises and homework that can be practiced between sessions, making them practical for remote work.

Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before, then adapt methods together. Sessions often mix techniques until a practical plan feels right for daily life.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, allowing flexibility for parents and busy caregivers. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into school runs, workdays, or short breaks while keeping treatment consistent and skill-focused.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Olivia address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, eating issues, depression, addictions, LGBT concerns, relationships, family matters, sleep problems, anger, self esteem, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and ADHD, plus related areas.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is practical and skill oriented, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and trauma-focused work to teach tools people can use outside sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has practiced as a therapist since 1989 and began social work in 1985, bringing over three decades of experience in inpatient and outpatient care, hospice, and VA programs.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - LICSW with WV LICSW DPE0453081 and she practices in West Virginia.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does cost and starting therapy work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time; to begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
33 years
Licensed
West Virginia
Languages
English

Next step

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