- Person-centered care
- Skills and values
- Grief and hospice focus
About John
John Shafer is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience. He uses practical, person-centered methods to help people manage stress, grief, relationship strain, and life changes. He works in straightforward language and focuses on what people can do between sessions to feel a bit better.
Shafer draws on several therapeutic styles, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. He blends these with client-centered work and mindfulness to tailor sessions to each person's needs. Sessions often emphasize clear skills, values-based choices, and ways to reduce distress in daily life.
His background includes work in rural community mental health, school-based settings, and both city and suburban practices. That variety shaped his experience helping people across many ages and life circumstances. He has worked with people from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and continued diversity training over the years.
Shafer has provided individual therapy, couples therapy, and group therapy during his career. He has supported people facing depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, addiction concerns, compassion fatigue, and caregiver stress. He also addresses issues such as parenting, sleep difficulties, intimacy-related concerns, and coping with chronic illness.
Based in New York, he holds the LCSW credential and frames work around practical goals. People who meet with him can expect a collaborative, down-to-earth approach that focuses on skills and values. Before scheduling, confirm current session options and logistics.
Shafer draws on several therapeutic styles, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. He blends these with client-centered work and mindfulness to tailor sessions to each person's needs. Sessions often emphasize clear skills, values-based choices, and ways to reduce distress in daily life.
His background includes work in rural community mental health, school-based settings, and both city and suburban practices. That variety shaped his experience helping people across many ages and life circumstances. He has worked with people from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and continued diversity training over the years.
Shafer has provided individual therapy, couples therapy, and group therapy during his career. He has supported people facing depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, addiction concerns, compassion fatigue, and caregiver stress. He also addresses issues such as parenting, sleep difficulties, intimacy-related concerns, and coping with chronic illness.
Based in New York, he holds the LCSW credential and frames work around practical goals. People who meet with him can expect a collaborative, down-to-earth approach that focuses on skills and values. Before scheduling, confirm current session options and logistics.
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
Therapeutic approaches that translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values even when feelings are hard. It is useful for anxiety, depression, grief, and coping with life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with new behaviors; it often helps with worry, low mood, sleep problems, and anger. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adds practical emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills that can be helpful when feelings feel overwhelming.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That may mean blending techniques from different models so sessions feel relevant and useful.
Confirm the therapist's current session options before booking, since specific formats are not listed here. Online work can make scheduling easier and help therapy fit into busy lives. It can allow shorter check-ins between in-person visits, reduce travel time, or make it simpler to meet during a break at work. Licensed professionals can use online sessions to teach skills, review experiments, and support ongoing coping between meetings.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does John commonly address?
He helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction concerns, and caregiver or compassion fatigue.
What is his general approach in sessions?
Sessions are collaborative and practical, combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and client-centered techniques to build skills and clarify values.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He has 25 years of clinical experience working in rural, school-based, city, and suburban settings across many age ranges and diverse communities.
What credential does he hold and where is he located?
He holds an LCSW credential and practices in New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with him?
He is not currently working with international clients.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work together?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.