Doug Shirley grew up in the greater Philadelphia area. He received a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Messiah College, an MA in Counseling Psychology from Temple University, an MDiv from The Seattle School, and an EdD in Pastoral Community Counseling from Argosy University. He works as a licensed mental health counselor and approved supervisor in the state of Washington.
Doug has taught at Temple University, and Argosy University, and The Seattle School. He was hired as Core Faculty at The Seattle School after completing his doctoral dissertation in 2016. His doctoral studies focused on masculinity and the emotional impact of shame.
Doug and his wife, Laura Wade Shirley, have three boys: Noah, Luke, and Eli. Doug describes his calling in life as “to be full and receptive.”
Desire. This may seem like a strange place to start a blog post designed to address the categories of compassion and empathy, but in order to join this conversation in a meaningful way, I believe desire is where the conversation must begin and end. In my recent post on self-care, I referenced the purpose of […]
When the pandemic reached our shores in early 2020, promises of time spent at home and opportunities for self-betterment were prevalent. Diets, home workouts, meditation protocols, and Bible verses were forwarded and then forwarded again. Fast forward 6+ months and the tenor of conversations have shifted. Disaster models now predict high levels of anxiety, depression, […]
In spring 2018, the Practicum (now Listening Lab) team hosted a meeting for students who identify as underrepresented on campus (Persons of Color, LGBTQIA+, Sage, Conservative Theology, etc.) to invite conversation around the question: “What has practicum been like for you?” What followed was a series of often painful accounts of struggles that went beyond […]
We all have a depth to us that is not simply our own. We each come from a time and place that is other than where we are right now. And yet, life requires us to live in a now that seems to beckon to a self that is required to be conscious of who […]
Dr. Doug Shirley writes about the ease of hiding our vulnerability and need for care behind things that appear important or beautiful.
Doug Shirley writes about the tendency to wield clinical distance and professional jargon as a shield against the risk of vulnerability between lovers.