XiYue (Shirley) Wu

XiYue (Shirley) is a doctoral practicum trainee from the Counseling Psychology program here at UWM. She grew up in China and has been in the USA for almost 10 years. She received her master's in mental health counseling from Boston College. Prior to her current doctoral training, she gained clinical experience as an intern in an outpatient clinic, in behavioral health management, and in a trauma recovery program. Shirley has also practiced as a part-time counselor in China.

Shirley’s primary therapeutic orientation is Feminist Therapy which primarily focuses on societal, cultural, and political causes of and solutions to issues faced in the counseling process. Feminist Therapy emphasizes empowering clients to overcome contextual barriers and to grow critical awareness of how power dynamics influence one’s own sense of control/power in intrapersonal, interpersonal, somatic, and spiritual levels. Her clinical interests include trauma and resiliency, career development, LGBTQ+ issues, and emotional awareness.

When not working, Shirley enjoys spending time with her family, doing clay arts, and playing video games.