John Shafer, LCSW

John Shafer is an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) practicing in New York with 25 years of experience. He lists stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns among his main areas of work. John also notes experience with trauma and abuse, depression, addictions, LGBT issues, grief, intimacy concerns, sleep problems, parenting stress, anger, self-esteem, career questions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and other life changes.

John trained at Syracuse University School of Social Work and began clinical practice in 1998. Early work took him into rural community mental health, school-based settings, and services across city and suburban clinics. Those varied jobs exposed him to a wide range of ages and life situations, from young children through people in their nineties.

Over the years he broadened his experience with different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. John pursued ongoing diversity training and adapted how he talked about gender identity and expression so it fit each person's cultural context. That background informs how he discusses relationship roles, expectations, and family-of-origin patterns in sessions.

In sessions he draws from several well known approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), client-centered work, mindfulness, narrative techniques, strengths-based ideas, and solution-focused methods. He uses those methods to help people clarify goals, practice new skills, and try out different ways of relating.

John has run individual sessions, group work, and couple work during his career. He describes his style as collaborative and client-centered, working with people to set practical goals and try changes that fit their daily life.

How his approaches translate to online work