- Person-centered care
- Trauma-informed support
- Values-based work
About Brian
Dr. Brian Shaffer is a licensed counselor who focuses on helping people find stability and forward movement. He brings 20 years of clinical experience and combines practical talk therapy with attention to each person’s values and beliefs. He works with adults facing stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, relationship struggles, and related concerns including codependency.
He uses a person-centered approach that starts with listening and understanding what matters most to the client. From there he draws on several therapy methods to build a plan that fits the person, not a one-size-fits-all program. Sessions often include talking through past trauma, managing symptoms, and creating steps toward recovery.
His background covers mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, loss, bereavement, and spiritual care. That range informs how he supports people whose mental health and substance use issues overlap. He pays attention to how spiritual beliefs can be part of healing when clients want that included.
Clients can expect straightforward conversations about goals and practical strategies to manage mood, cravings, and difficult memories. He also helps with issues such as eating concerns, intimacy-related problems, ADHD-related struggles, and compassion fatigue.
Dr. Shaffer holds the Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor credential and the Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential. He practices in Pennsylvania and offers services in English, including to international clients.
Approaches that translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small actions that move people toward the life they want. It can help with anxiety, depression, codependency, and making choices that match what matters most.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current responses and patterns. It can be useful for people who struggle with trust, closeness, or repeating painful relationship patterns.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to goals, try methods that fit the person, and adjust as needed. Clients and the therapist decide together which techniques to use and how to measure progress.
If you prefer online work, confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and remove travel time so people can focus on recovery and daily tasks. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and attachment-focused work to video or phone conversations, using exercises and homework that carry over between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Credentials
Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does he address?
He helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, codependency, relationship and intimacy concerns, and many related issues listed in his profile.
What is his overall therapy style?
He works in a person-centered way and draws on approaches like CBT, DBT, ACT, and attachment-based ideas to match methods to each person's needs.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He brings 20 years of experience working in mental health, addiction, trauma, grief, loss, and spiritual care settings.
What credentials and region apply to his practice?
He holds LCMHC and LCPC credentials and practices in Pennsylvania, with the credentials listed as NH LCMHC and NV LCPC in his documentation.
Can sessions be held in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients supported?
Yes, he accepts international clients according to the profile information provided.
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 him?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.