Shirla de Magalhães, LMFT # 82947
Founder and Owner of Sol Therapy - Est. 2015
Becoming a therapist was a midlife calling that grew from my own life experiences; immigration, single parenting, divorce, and starting over. Those chapters shaped how I show up: with empathy, curiosity, and deep respect for each person’s journey.
I was born in Canada to Brazilian parents and grew up in São Paulo- Brazil, attending a British school that made me bilingual in English and Portuguese from a young age. My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t linear. I first earned a degree in Journalism, worked in hospitality management, got married young, and moved to the United States in my late twenties with two young children. After going through a divorce and raising my kids as a single working mom, I felt called to make a change, one that aligned more closely with my values and life experience.
In my late 30s I returned to graduate school and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). My early work with foster children and at-risk youth opened my eyes to how traditional talk therapy often falls short for children. That’s what led me to Play Therapy and later to Expressive Arts, Sandplay, and Depth Psychology. I’ve since discovered that creative, nonverbal approaches are just as powerful for adults, helping access deeper emotions, release old patterns, and connect with the inner child in a healing way. I believe that most of our adult negative patterns stem from unresolved childhood wounds. My approach is holistic, trauma-informed, and integrative, drawing from psychodynamic and depth-oriented perspectives, attachment theory, EMDR, IFS, Mindfulness, Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapies.
For more than 10 years, I worked exclusively with children and families. Today, my clinical work is primarily focused on adults seeking deeper self-understanding, healing from past wounds, and living with greater authenticity, balance, and connection to themselves. Over time, I felt called to expand Sol Therapy and carefully selected therapists whose values and approach align with my own. Together, we offer holistic, client-centered, and trauma-informed care that honors the uniqueness of each individual. By integrating creative, expressive, somatic, and evidence-based modalities, we help clients explore themselves more deeply and move toward healing, growth, and lasting change.
My Areas of Focus
I bring to my work not only professional training but also lived experience — immigration, divorce, single parenting, blended family life, grief, midlife transitions, and caring for aging parents. I’m fluent in Portuguese, proficient in Spanish.
Therapy, for me, is not about “fixing” people but about helping them rediscover who they truly are. I believe inner growth begins when we feel seen, understood, and free to be ourselves. I’d be honored to walk beside you as you take steps toward your own healing, growth, and wholeness.
Availability
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 10:00am-3:00pm
Founder and Owner of Sol Therapy - Est. 2015
Becoming a therapist was a midlife calling that grew from my own life experiences; immigration, single parenting, divorce, and starting over. Those chapters shaped how I show up: with empathy, curiosity, and deep respect for each person’s journey.
I was born in Canada to Brazilian parents and grew up in São Paulo- Brazil, attending a British school that made me bilingual in English and Portuguese from a young age. My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t linear. I first earned a degree in Journalism, worked in hospitality management, got married young, and moved to the United States in my late twenties with two young children. After going through a divorce and raising my kids as a single working mom, I felt called to make a change, one that aligned more closely with my values and life experience.
In my late 30s I returned to graduate school and became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). My early work with foster children and at-risk youth opened my eyes to how traditional talk therapy often falls short for children. That’s what led me to Play Therapy and later to Expressive Arts, Sandplay, and Depth Psychology. I’ve since discovered that creative, nonverbal approaches are just as powerful for adults, helping access deeper emotions, release old patterns, and connect with the inner child in a healing way. I believe that most of our adult negative patterns stem from unresolved childhood wounds. My approach is holistic, trauma-informed, and integrative, drawing from psychodynamic and depth-oriented perspectives, attachment theory, EMDR, IFS, Mindfulness, Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapies.
For more than 10 years, I worked exclusively with children and families. Today, my clinical work is primarily focused on adults seeking deeper self-understanding, healing from past wounds, and living with greater authenticity, balance, and connection to themselves. Over time, I felt called to expand Sol Therapy and carefully selected therapists whose values and approach align with my own. Together, we offer holistic, client-centered, and trauma-informed care that honors the uniqueness of each individual. By integrating creative, expressive, somatic, and evidence-based modalities, we help clients explore themselves more deeply and move toward healing, growth, and lasting change.
My Areas of Focus
- Inner Child & Shadow Work
- Anxiety, Depression, & Emotional Regulation
- Trauma & Early Attachment Wounds
- Life Transitions, Grief, & Identity Shifts
- Self-Worth, Boundaries, & Relational Patterns
- Women’s Issues, Midlife, & Menopause
- Multicultural Identity, Immigration, & Adjustment
- Creativity, Personal Growth, & Spiritual Exploration
I bring to my work not only professional training but also lived experience — immigration, divorce, single parenting, blended family life, grief, midlife transitions, and caring for aging parents. I’m fluent in Portuguese, proficient in Spanish.
Therapy, for me, is not about “fixing” people but about helping them rediscover who they truly are. I believe inner growth begins when we feel seen, understood, and free to be ourselves. I’d be honored to walk beside you as you take steps toward your own healing, growth, and wholeness.
Availability
Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 10:00am-3:00pm
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Education & Professional Background
M.A. in Counseling Psychology National University San Diego, California B.A. in Communication Studies – Journalism Universidade São Judas Tadeu São Paulo, Brazil |
Other Certifications:
UCSD Extension Play Therapy Certification Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S) #S2226 Registered Sandplay Practitioner (RSP) SoulCollage® Facilitator EMDR Level I & II TF-CBT Psychosocial Oncology Therapeutic Art Life Coach |
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Professional Leadership & Community Involvement
In addition to clinical work, Shirla has been actively involved in leadership, trauma-informed advocacy, and professional organizations supporting mental health.
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