Dr. Brian Shaffer, LCMHC, LCPC

Dr. Brian Shaffer uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a central way to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. He combines that with other practical approaches so clients can manage stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, and more. His style is direct, grounded, and focused on small steps that add up over time.

He has two decades of counseling experience and holds LCMHC and LCPC credentials. Over 20 years he has worked with people facing trauma, loss, substance use, depression, and life transitions. He often weaves a person-centered attitude into treatment so each plan matches the person in front of him.

Sessions often include talking through recent problems, practicing new coping skills, and setting simple goals for the week. He helps people process past traumatic events that still affect daily life. He also makes room to include a client’s spiritual beliefs when that is important to them.

Dr. Shaffer addresses a wide range of concerns including relationship and intimacy issues, anger and self-esteem, eating and body image, ADHD, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and compassion fatigue. He works with mood-related difficulties such as bipolar disorder and recurring depression, and with people wrestling with addictions.

The approach is practical and collaborative. Clients leave with clear strategies they can try between sessions. He encourages steady progress rather than quick fixes.

How CBT, ACT, and Attachment Work Online

Dr. Shaffer commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify stressful thoughts and try practical behavior changes. CBT focuses on small experiments and skill practice that translate well to video or text formats. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches how to accept hard feelings while committing to actions that reflect personal values; it can help with anxiety, grief, and life changes by offering concrete exercises and values-based goals. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how past relationship patterns affect current connections and intimacy; sessions involve exploring those patterns and practicing different ways of relating.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Dr. Shaffer collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. He adjusts techniques over time so the plan stays relevant as progress is made.

Online therapy gives practical flexibility. Video calls are useful for deeper conversation and skill coaching. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone needs a quicker check-in. Live chat and text-based messaging are options for shorter updates, homework check-ins, or when writing feels easier than talking. These formats make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and to keep steady momentum between sessions.