Shirley Furman

Shirley Furman has been helping men and women of all ages for nearly 25 years as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Specializing in enhancing the brain and healing common afflictions such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive behaviors, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and pregnancy-related issues, she utilizes an integrative and holistic approach that focuses on sleep, physical activity, nutrition, mental health and lifestyle. Shirley enjoys supporting her clients in gaining the means to create balance in their lives with the ultimate goal of achieving mind, body, and spiritual contentment.

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When she started her career as a pediatric nurse she consistently got good reviews except for one area where she always “needed improvement.” In the comments column it usually read, “She spends too much time talking with patients.” This was a clear early sign that her calling was not medical or surgical but instead in psychiatry; in working with people’s emotions and minds.   

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One time while working on the hospital floor the doctors had to do a spinal tap on a 10 year old girl who was screaming and terrified. They were trying to hold her down without success. Shirley asked them to give her 15 minutes alone with with frightened girl. Shirley proceeded to use hypnotherapy and breathing techniques she had learned to help her remain calm as she gently held her hands and helped her breathe through the procedure. The doctors proclaimed they wanted Shirley for all the kids who needed a spinal tap. Helping this girl was so nourishing to Shirley that she knew this was important to her career and calling as a healer.

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When she transferred into Labor & Delivery she enjoyed another avenue to use integrative techniques instead of medication alone. She got to enjoy developing and teaching Childbirth Preparation courses to couples so mothers could increase their ability to go through labor with less medication and be more present and enjoy their babies’ births more.  

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After she started counseling with a focus on postpartum depression, it became evident that most depression and anxiety that was labeled as “Postpartum Depression” was mostly due to sleep deprivation. When she was able to get new moms to sleep 6-7 hours instead of 2-3, they rarely needed medication and were able to enjoy their newborn babies. This is when she learned the importance of sleep and how many mental health disorders can be caused or worsened by sleep deprivation. This also reinforced that not all problems are best solved with medication. Sometimes focusing on the basics like sleep can make a tremendous difference in a patient’s mental and physical health.

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From stress, depression and anxiety to OCD, PTSD and insomnia; helping people reduce their suffering is what drives her.