Olivia Shuttleworth

Olivia Shuttleworth is a licensed independent clinical social worker with 33 years of experience helping people through hard times. She draws on practical strategies to help with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, and problems with sleep or eating. Olivia writes plainly and listens closely to what each person brings to a session.

She began as a social worker in 1985 and moved into therapy work in 1989. Her background includes inpatient psychiatric care, outpatient programs, day hospital and rehab work, and time in the VA system supporting veterans. She has also worked in hospice, in emergency childcare shelter work, and as a child protective services worker with DHHR-CPS.

Olivia uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness skills, and trauma-focused work. In practice she teaches concrete skills for managing strong feelings, changing unhelpful thinking, and coping with life changes. Sessions often focus on small tools people can use between meetings.

She has supported people facing severe mental health challenges, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, and addictions. Olivia also helps people dealing with relationship stress, questions around LGBT identity, obsessive or compulsive patterns, seasonal mood shifts, and veteran and armed forces issues.

Olivia believes recovery includes support from others as well as formal care when needed. To begin, she invites potential clients to describe what feels most overwhelming and to work together on clear, achievable steps.

How her approaches translate to online care

Olivia uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy alongside mindfulness in her work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different responses; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills to manage strong feelings like anger and overwhelm.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Olivia will work with each person to match methods to their goals and preferences, checking in and adjusting the plan as needed. The aim is practical change through small, doable steps agreed on together.

The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten some check-ins, and reduce travel time. For some people, phone check-ins mean less bandwidth than video, while video sessions allow face-to-face interaction for skills practice. Talk with the therapist about which option would best fit daily life and goals.