- Focus on recovery
- Person-centered care
- Integrates spiritual beliefs
About Brian
Dr. Brian Shaffer uses a person-centered way of working to help people cope with addiction, grief, anxiety, and other life challenges. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with twenty years of experience. Brian aims to help people build a life that feels more manageable and meaningful.
He focuses on recovery from substance use and on processing past trauma that continues to affect daily life. He also supports people dealing with depression, stress, relationship and intimacy concerns, and the practical strains of caregiving or chronic illness. His approach includes attention to spiritual beliefs when clients want that included.
In sessions he draws on methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment-Based work, and Client-Centered Therapy. That mix is used to tailor care to each person’s goals and situation. Brian tends to work at a steady pace and helps clients learn skills they can use outside sessions.
He has helped people face complicated grief, co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, and challenges like ADHD, body image, and career stress. He also supports people navigating aging, chronic pain or illness, and major life changes. Brian practices in Pennsylvania and works with English-speaking clients, including some who live outside the United States.
Readers who want to begin can use the site Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule based on the therapist’s availability.
He focuses on recovery from substance use and on processing past trauma that continues to affect daily life. He also supports people dealing with depression, stress, relationship and intimacy concerns, and the practical strains of caregiving or chronic illness. His approach includes attention to spiritual beliefs when clients want that included.
In sessions he draws on methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment-Based work, and Client-Centered Therapy. That mix is used to tailor care to each person’s goals and situation. Brian tends to work at a steady pace and helps clients learn skills they can use outside sessions.
He has helped people face complicated grief, co-occurring mental health and substance use issues, and challenges like ADHD, body image, and career stress. He also supports people navigating aging, chronic pain or illness, and major life changes. Brian practices in Pennsylvania and works with English-speaking clients, including some who live outside the United States.
Readers who want to begin can use the site Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule based on the therapist’s availability.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Relationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDivorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Jungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania
Languages
English
How therapeutic approaches guide online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people clarify what matters to them and take actions aligned with those values, even while uncomfortable feelings remain. It can be helpful for anxiety, depression, and making life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns, often useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with stress. Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early relationships shape current patterns and can help with intimacy issues, grief, and relationship struggles.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't worked in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.
For online work, confirm the session formats before booking since the biography does not list specific options. Many people find online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Online meetings can also let clients include spiritual or cultural context from their own setting during sessions. If someone prefers a specific way of meeting, they should confirm those arrangements when they schedule.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist address?
The therapist works with stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and many other concerns including chronic pain, caregiver stress, and body image.
What is the therapist's style and approach?
He uses a person-centered approach and draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy to match individual needs.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He brings twenty years of clinical experience working in mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, loss, and spiritual care.
What credentials and location are listed?
He holds LCMHC and LCPC credentials and practices in Pennsylvania.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and he accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the therapist's biography does not specify which formats are used.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.