Dr.
01About Brian
Dr. Brian Shaffer uses a person-centered approach to help people facing addiction, grief, trauma, and depression. He combines practical talk and focused strategies so clients can work toward a more stable day-to-day life.
Brian holds LCMHC and LCPC credentials and brings two decades of clinical experience to sessions in Pennsylvania and online. He begins by listening to what matters most and by clarifying short-term goals people can actually try between sessions.
Background and approach
That may include coping skills for anxiety, steps to manage cravings, or ways to repair trust after abuse. He draws from several approaches so interventions fit the person rather than the other way around. Brian integrates clients' spiritual beliefs into care when that is important to the person.
He helps people process past losses and trauma that often fuel depression, substance use, or relationship problems. Sessions focus on practical change and building new routines that support recovery and wellbeing. Clients also work on communication, boundaries, and managing strong emotions like anger or shame.
He supports people dealing with career stress, caregiver strain, chronic illness, and body image or intimacy concerns. The work balances emotional processing with hands-on skills practice. Over 20 years of experience informs his approach, especially around grief, addiction, and trauma work.
He offers video, phone, chat, and text sessions and accepts international clients, tailoring the format to each person's needs and schedule.
02Credentials
- LPC (Michigan)
- License 6401018488 · expires July 2027
- LCPC (Nevada)
- License CP3204-R · expires January 2028
- LCMHC (New Hampshire)
- License 3306 · expires June 2028
- LPC (Pennsylvania)
- License PC015782 · expires February 2027
- NPI
- 1255857439 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the counselor lists and checks neither.
03Focus areas and approaches
Everything Brian lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Grief
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Methods Brian names
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
These are the methods Brian names on their own professional profile. Naming an approach is not evidence of training or certification in it, and this directory checks no training records. Ask directly if it matters to you.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
04Online support
Therapeutic approaches for online recovery work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and move toward a values-based life. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with big life changes by teaching flexible skills rather than trying to eliminate every difficult feeling.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing patterns of thought and behavior that keep problems going. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and addiction-related habits because it breaks issues into concrete steps and homework someone can practice between sessions.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, history, and preferences, then suggest strategies from these methods that fit. Sessions can shift over time as needs change, combining emotional processing with skills practice.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to work together. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for deeper processing, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits quick check-ins, and text messaging supports brief coaching or daily tracking. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or travel schedules while keeping the focus on practical steps toward recovery.
05Questions people ask
What issues does he help people with?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, trauma, and related concerns like intimacy and self-esteem.
What is his therapeutic style like?
The style is person-centered and practical, mixing listening with goal-focused exercises from several therapies to match a client's needs.
How much clinical experience is there?
Brian brings 20 years of experience in mental health, addiction, trauma, and bereavement work to his practice.
Where is his practice based and what credentials are held?
He practices from Pennsylvania and holds the credentials LCMHC and LCPC as listed.
In which languages can I work with him?
Sessions are offered in English and he accepts international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.
More counselors in Pennsylvania
See all
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem and 2 more
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Grief and 2 more
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse and 2 more
Relationship, Family, Parenting and 2 more
Is this your profile?
Ask us to correct details or take the page down.