John Shafer, LCSW
Experienced LCSW guiding practical change
Continue with John
Opens BetterHelp in a new tab, where you can review online therapy options.
- 25 years experience
- Practical skill building
- Client-centered approach
About John
John Shafer is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of practice in New York. He uses straightforward, people-focused methods to help clients facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and midlife transitions. He aims to make sessions feel practical and direct so people can apply what they learn to daily life.
He trained at Syracuse University School of Social Work and has worked across many settings, including rural community mental health, school-based programs, and urban and suburban clinics. That range gave him experience with different ages and life circumstances, and he has provided individual, couples, and group therapy during his career.
His usual ways of working include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and client-centered approaches. He also draws on mindfulness and narrative techniques when those approaches fit a person's needs. In sessions he focuses on clear goals, practical skills, and everyday habits that affect mood and relationships.
Over time he has worked with people dealing with trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, career transitions, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. He also supports issues related to adoption and foster care, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and aging. Language used in sessions is English.
John emphasizes collaboration. He prefers to set goals together, track progress, and adjust methods when something is not helping. To begin, visitors follow the site's Start Therapy flow and complete the short matching questionnaire before scheduling.
He trained at Syracuse University School of Social Work and has worked across many settings, including rural community mental health, school-based programs, and urban and suburban clinics. That range gave him experience with different ages and life circumstances, and he has provided individual, couples, and group therapy during his career.
His usual ways of working include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and client-centered approaches. He also draws on mindfulness and narrative techniques when those approaches fit a person's needs. In sessions he focuses on clear goals, practical skills, and everyday habits that affect mood and relationships.
Over time he has worked with people dealing with trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, career transitions, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. He also supports issues related to adoption and foster care, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and aging. Language used in sessions is English.
John emphasizes collaboration. He prefers to set goals together, track progress, and adjust methods when something is not helping. To begin, visitors follow the site's Start Therapy flow and complete the short matching questionnaire before scheduling.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
New York
Languages
English
How these approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, stress, and coping with life transitions when someone wants clearer direction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting thought and behavior patterns that keep problems going and teaching practical skills to change them, which often helps with depression, sleeping problems, and panic. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills, and it can be helpful for anger, self-esteem, and relationship challenges.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs and preferences and then try methods that fit. They treat finding a good fit as a collaborative process and will adjust methods if something is not helping.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm the current session options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow for shorter check-ins, and reduce travel time. It can also let people use tools like in-session worksheets and recorded mindfulness practices to support skill practice between meetings. Licensed professionals aim to adapt exercises and homework so they work well in an online setting.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does John address?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, intimacy issues, sleep problems, and midlife transitions among other concerns.
What is his therapeutic style like?
Sessions are practical and collaborative, using goal-setting, skills practice, and talk therapy to help people manage symptoms and life changes.
What experience does he bring?
He has 25 years of experience in rural community mental health, school-based settings, and urban and suburban clinics.
What credentials and location are listed?
He is an LCSW licensed in New York and practices in New York State.
Which languages are used in sessions and can international clients work with him?
Sessions are offered in English. He is not accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current session options before booking.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin the process?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.