John Shafer, LCSW

John Shafer is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 25 years of practice in New York. He focuses on practical, person-centered care that helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. John draws on several well-known approaches to help clients find clearer thinking and steadier daily routines.

He uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try small, workable changes. He also incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and client-centered conversations to strengthen emotion regulation and relationships. These methods are presented plainly so clients can use them between sessions.

John has worked in rural community mental health, school-based programs, and urban and suburban settings. That background includes experience with a wide age range and with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. He has professional experience addressing caregiving stress, chronic illness, grief, and issues related to aging and geriatric concerns.

His approach is collaborative and straightforward. Sessions focus on what matters most to the client and on steps the client can try right away. John has used individual, group, and couple formats in past roles and emphasizes building practical skills alongside personal insight.

People who reach out can expect short-term and longer-term options depending on their goals. He encourages clear goals, regular check-ins, and adapting strategies as life changes.

How his approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms and improve daily routines. It works well for anxiety, mood concerns, sleeping problems, and some stress-related difficulties.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and day-to-day life and then suggest which methods to try first. They adjust strategies over time so techniques fit what actually works for the client.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm the available session types before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let clients practice skills in familiar routines, then bring questions back to the therapist for real-time troubleshooting.