Today we’d like to introduce you to Shirla de Magalhaes
Hi Shirla, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Becoming an LMFT (Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist) was a career change for me in my mid/late 30’s. Prior to that I worked in the hospitality industry, and I noticed what I liked most about my job was helping others, my clients as well as my co-workers. Some would come into my office and jokingly ask if the therapist was in.
During the 2009 recession the hotel I was working for was laying off most of the sales staff, and I thought to myself “if they keep me I will stay in the industry, if they let me go I will go back to school and change careers”, and that’s what I did!
At the time I came across National University who offered a masters in psychology in 18 months, one class format a month, I thought it was a great way to get my degree quickly and it was very worth it! When I was in grad school I thought I wanted to work predominantly with women, to empower them, as I felt that I could offer some guidance having predominantly raised my children as a single, working mother, however my first job was working with foster children and that shifted that plan for a while. I realized in that job that many clinicians were struggling when working with children because talk therapy isn’t very helpful for young kids or those with severe trauma. That’s when I obtained a certification in Play Therapy through UCSD extension, and then became an RPT-S (Registered Play Therapist Supervisor) through the Association for Play Therapy (APT). I also became a Registered Sandplay Practitioner (RSP), SoulCollage® Facilitator and have training in many other modalities such as IFS, EMDR, CBT, Neuroscience.
I worked at non profit agencies in San Diego for 6 years, empowering youth in the most under privileged communities of San Diego. I offed
mobile play therapy and sandplay therapy sessions until I was ready to open my own private practice, which was my ultimate goal. Throughout my career as a therapist I have gravitated to taking classes and working with different forms of expressive arts therapies to help individuals process their pain, grief and trauma through symbolic, non verbal ways. Utilizing a non verbal approach allows the unconscious to bring up images that can then be processed in the present. I enjoy working from a Jungian and attachment perspective but I incorporate other forms of therapies if I feel it’s appropriate. Sessions are tailored for each individual client’s needs, always taking into consideration their personal, cultural and spiritual beliefs.
In my private practice I initially worked only with children, tweens and teens, and it was gratifying to see the transformation and impact that play therapy had on my young clients, however as I started getting older I realized I was having less energy to work with the young kids as sessions happen predominantly on the floor, through different forms of play. When Covid hit I thought it was a great opportunity to start shifting my practice, and I gradually did. I worked at my office through Covid as I am a solo practitioner, during that time I moved office locations to downtown La Mesa – The Village, and transitioned to working predominantly with teens and adults.
I feel that being able to understand how children’s minds work and what helps them heal, has allowed me to be even more empathic when working with adults, as I believe most of out adulthood issues stem from unresolved childhood issues. I now incorporate sandplay therapy, play therapy, therapeutic art, collage and SoulCollage® as a complement to talk therapy for teens and adults who are interested in exploring such modalities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I believe there will always be obstacles on the road but how you view them and handle them is what makes the big difference. I am the kind of person who sees the glass half full, and I understand obstacles are part of the journey, and yes, I may get frustrated, sad and angry at times, but it is short lived as I know there is always a solution, a different way of seeing and doing things, and that if things aren’t working out a certain way, it’s because it’s not the best way, let’s look at things from a different angle, see what can be changed, adapted, etc…
We’ve been impressed with SOL THERAPY, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The legal name of my business is Sol Play Child Therapy Inc, but since I shifted to now working predominantly with teens and adults, I registered by business as SOL THERAPY because I like to think I do “Soul Work”. I am originally from Brazil, a Leo ruled by the sun, so I felt that SOL was a nice play on words – it means sun in Portuguese and Spanish, two languages I am fluent in, as well as being pronounced “soul” in English.
I like to think that I offer a very personalized approach to therapy, addressing underlying issues and not just treating just superficial symptoms. I feel my personal and professional path have allowed me to be a genuine and caring therapist, I love what I do and I love learning from all my different clients. I can say my clients have allowed me to grow so much as a human being, listening to so many different stories, the resilience in my clients, it’s what makes me love what I do!
I believe my training in child psychology, trauma, brain development and play therapy allow me to really attune to my adult client’s inner child. I enjoy doing inner child and shadow work, and I feel that when we incorporate sandplay, collages or SoulCollage ®, into our work, it can allow clients to better know and embrace all aspects of themselves, even the ones they don’t typically like. Once we have awareness of all the different parts of our personality we can better understand ourselves and others, we also have the ability to have more control over our emotions and our actions.
I also offer SoulCollage® Workshops in the community, creating these collages in community and sharing can be a very powerful experience. In SoulCollage® we create 5″ x 8″ cards to represent different aspects of our Self. Each collage card is paired with a journaling entry and it’s a great modality to increase self awareness, self love and self growth.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Playing! I was an only child with an extremely vivid imagination! I played solo most of the time, and I loved my Playmobil, dolls, Barbies, hot wheels, stuffed animals, I also liked to play I was a bank teller, secretary (I loved booking fake appointments and adding to an old scheduler). With my toys I never felt alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.solplaytherapy.com
