Amy Shafer, LCSW

Amy Shafer is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with three decades of practice in California. She brings a practical, person-focused approach to common problems like anxiety, depression, grief, and stress. Amy frames therapy as teamwork and focuses on what helps people move forward in daily life.

She uses methods drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, emotionally-focused work, mindfulness, and client-centered care. These approaches are applied to concerns such as relationships, intimacy, addiction, sleep problems, and parenting strain. She also addresses chronic illness, cancer, caregiver stress, and aging-related issues.

Amy has worked across many settings and with many age groups. In recent years she has concentrated on adult and geriatric needs, including loss, trauma, family conflict, and life-stage transitions. That variety has shaped a flexible style and a broad toolkit she offers to clients.

In sessions Amy helps people identify practical steps, learn coping skills, and rethink unhelpful patterns. She blends short-term problem solving with work on deeper relationship and interpersonal issues when needed. The emphasis is on straightforward, usable strategies rather than jargon.

People who want steady guidance through change or grief will find an experienced clinician who aims to listen, clarify goals, and suggest manageable options. Amy encourages questions and helps each person shape a plan that fits their life.

How her approaches translate to online work

Amy uses acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral approaches that adapt well to online conversations. ACT focuses on clarifying personal values and taking committed steps toward them while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings; it can help with persistent anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills for changing unhelpful patterns, which is useful for stress, sleep problems, and coping with chronic illness.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Amy will discuss goals, preferences, and how you prefer to work, then tailor methods so they fit your situation. That shared planning helps ensure the methods used match what you want to change and how you like to learn.

Confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are available. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also supports continuing care during life transitions and when mobility or caregiving limits make in-person visits difficult, while letting the therapist and client focus on practical coping skills and relationship patterns that matter most.