Shirley Cayko, LCSW

Shirley Cayko is a licensed clinical social worker with 18 years of practice in Montana. She focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, motivation, self-esteem, and help for people coping with life changes. Shirley emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion during appointments. She aims to make taking that first step feel manageable for people who are nervous about starting therapy.

Shirley adapts conversations and care to fit each person's situation. She listens for what matters most and works with clients to set clear, practical goals. That might include learning new ways to handle anxiety, building daily habits that support mood, or practicing skills to manage intense emotions.

Her approach pulls from methods that help people notice thoughts and try new behaviors. Shirley uses techniques that encourage present-moment awareness and ways to change patterns that cause distress. Therapy sessions mix talking, skill practice, and problem-solving tailored to the concern at hand.

She also pays attention to longer-term life themes such as meaning, values, and coping with changes that come with aging and geriatric issues. That can include planning around serious illness, grief, caregiving strain, and adjusting to new life roles. Shirley helps people weigh options and make decisions that fit their values.

Sessions aim to be straightforward and goal-focused while staying flexible. Shirley supports people as they build skills, try different strategies, and track what helps. If you are ready to begin, she encourages you to take the next step and start the matching process.

How Shirley’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the client. In practice Shirley uses this to shape sessions around each person’s goals and preferences, rather than following a fixed script. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression. Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, offers concrete skills for managing strong emotions and improving relationships.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Shirley will collaborate with you to decide which methods fit your needs, goals, and personal style. She adjusts her plan as you try techniques and see what helps, so the process stays flexible and client-driven.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know how sessions are scheduled. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, fewer travel demands, and more flexibility around work or caregiving responsibilities. Licensed professionals can guide skill practice, teach coping strategies, and support decision-making through remote sessions, while tailoring pace and tools to what works best for each person.