Shayna Feldman Barksdale, LCSW-S, is the founder and creator of Austin Therapy for Girls, a boutique therapy practice in Austin, Texas, specializing in helping girls and young women successfully navigate life’s biggest transitions. With more than 30 years of clinical experience, Shayna has dedicated her career to supporting girls ages 5–25 as they move through childhood, middle school, high school, college, and young adulthood with greater confidence, resilience, and emotional well-being.
Known for her warm, authentic, and relatable approach, Shayna helps girls and young women manage anxiety, perfectionism, friendship challenges, school stress, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and the uncertainty that often comes with growing up. She believes every stage of development brings unique opportunities for growth, and therapy can provide the tools and support needed to navigate those changes successfully.
Shayna provides individual therapy, family therapy, parent coaching, and EMDR therapy for children, tweens, teens, college students, and young adults. She has advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), and The Daring Way™, based on the research of Brené Brown. Her work integrates evidence-based practices with genuine connection, helping clients build resilience while strengthening family relationships.
She earned her Master’s in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor (LCSW-S). In 2012, Shayna founded Austin Therapy for Girls with the mission of creating a safe place where girls feel seen, heard, understood, and empowered to become their authentic selves.
As the award-winning author of Pink Chaos: Navigating the Mother–Daughter Relationship with Your Tween, Shayna extends her passion beyond the therapy office by helping parents better understand and support their daughters during one of life’s most important developmental stages. Her practical, compassionate approach has made her a trusted resource for families navigating the complexities of raising girls.
Whether a young girl is adjusting to middle school, a teenager is preparing for high school, a senior is leaving for college, or a young woman is finding her path into adulthood, Shayna’s goal remains the same: to help girls and the people who love them build confidence, strengthen relationships, and thrive through every season of life.
When she’s not in the therapy office, Shayna enjoys speaking to schools and community organizations, creating resources for girls and parents, listening to ’80s music, watching a good scary movie, and spending time in Austin with her husband and their two rescue dogs.
If you’re looking for a therapist in Austin who specializes in helping girls navigate life’s important transitions—from middle school to high school, college, and young adulthood—Shayna and the Austin Therapy for Girls team are here to help.
