I am currently not taking any new clients, however my two associates work in a similar style, under my direct supervision and may have availability.
Shirla de Magalhães, LMFT # 82947
Founder and Owner of Sol Therapy - Est. 2015
Becoming a therapist was a career change I made in my late 30s, stepping away from the hospitality and corporate world in search of something that felt more meaningful. My path was shaped by my own experiences of immigration, raising children as a single parent, navigating divorce, and rebuilding life more than once. These life experiences deepened my understanding of resilience, loss, change, and growth, and continue to influence how I show up with clients, with empathy, curiosity, compassion, and deep respect for each person's story.
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 for many years, 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 for most of their lives, I felt called to make a career 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, Parts Work, Mindfulness, Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapies.
For over a decade, I worked primarily with children, teens, and families. Today, my clinical work is focused on adults seeking deeper self-understanding, healing from past wounds, integrating different parts and living with greater authenticity, balance, and connection to themselves. As my practice evolved, I felt called to expand Sol Therapy and carefully selected therapists whose values, warmth, and clinical approach align with the culture of the practice.
In addition to providing clinical services, I offer supervision and mentorship to our associate therapists, supporting their professional growth while helping ensure thoughtful, high-quality care for our clients. Together, we provide holistic, trauma-informed, and client-centered care that honors the uniqueness of each individual. By integrating creative, expressive, somatic, relational, and evidence-based approaches, we support clients in exploring themselves more deeply, fostering healing, personal growth, and meaningful, 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-2:00pm
Founder and Owner of Sol Therapy - Est. 2015
Becoming a therapist was a career change I made in my late 30s, stepping away from the hospitality and corporate world in search of something that felt more meaningful. My path was shaped by my own experiences of immigration, raising children as a single parent, navigating divorce, and rebuilding life more than once. These life experiences deepened my understanding of resilience, loss, change, and growth, and continue to influence how I show up with clients, with empathy, curiosity, compassion, and deep respect for each person's story.
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 for many years, 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 for most of their lives, I felt called to make a career 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, Parts Work, Mindfulness, Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapies.
For over a decade, I worked primarily with children, teens, and families. Today, my clinical work is focused on adults seeking deeper self-understanding, healing from past wounds, integrating different parts and living with greater authenticity, balance, and connection to themselves. As my practice evolved, I felt called to expand Sol Therapy and carefully selected therapists whose values, warmth, and clinical approach align with the culture of the practice.
In addition to providing clinical services, I offer supervision and mentorship to our associate therapists, supporting their professional growth while helping ensure thoughtful, high-quality care for our clients. Together, we provide holistic, trauma-informed, and client-centered care that honors the uniqueness of each individual. By integrating creative, expressive, somatic, relational, and evidence-based approaches, we support clients in exploring themselves more deeply, fostering healing, personal growth, and meaningful, lasting change.
My Areas of Focus
- Inner Child, Parts & Shadow Work
- Anxiety, Depression, & Emotional Well Being
- Trauma & Early Attachment Wounds
- Grief, Loss & Illness
- Guilt, Shame & Self Compassion
- Life Transitions & Identity Exploration
- Self-Worth, Healthy Boundaries, & Relational Patterns
- Pre and Post Partum Depression/Anxiety
- Women’s Issues, Embracing 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-2:00pm
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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 |
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.
In addition to clinical work, Shirla has been actively involved in leadership, trauma-informed advocacy, and professional organizations supporting mental health.
- 2019–2020 Immediate Past President, California Association for Play Therapy (CALAPT)
- 2018 Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Volunteer
- 2017–2018 President, California Association for Play Therapy (CALAPT)
- 2015–2016 Founder & President, San Diego Chapter of the California Association for Play Therapy
- 2014 Co-Chair, San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team
- 2013–2015 Trauma-Informed Committee Member, SAY (Social Advocates for Youth), San Diego
