Dr. Brian Shaffer, LCMHC, LCPC

Dr. Brian Shaffer is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 20 years of clinical experience. He works with people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, depression, trauma, and other life changes. His approach is person-centered and practical, aimed at helping clients make changes that matter in daily life.

He uses a mix of methods to suit each person’s needs, pulling from acceptance and commitment work, cognitive behavior strategies, attachment-focused ideas, and dialectical skills. In sessions he helps people talk through past hurts that still affect them now. He also includes a client’s spiritual beliefs when those are important to the person.

Dr. Shaffer has long experience supporting recovery from substance use and the mental health issues that often come with it. He works on concrete goals like reducing harmful behaviors, managing mood shifts, improving relationships, and building new routines. He aims to help people find more freedom from the past and clearer hope for the future.

Clients can expect a collaborative, down-to-earth style that focuses on what they want to change. He draws on clinical tools while keeping the conversation personal and respectful. His practice is based in Pennsylvania, and sessions are conducted in English.

For people balancing service and civilian life concerns, Dr. Shaffer offers experience relevant to transitions, trauma, and addiction. He supports people who want practical skills, clearer values, and steady steps toward recovery and improved daily functioning.

Approaches that guide online work and practical goals

Dr. Shaffer commonly draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy in his work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small committed actions toward them while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings. It can help with anxiety, depression, and challenges where motivation and direction matter. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people build healthier ways of relating and feeling safe in relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process may combine elements from different approaches to create a practical plan for change.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm the available options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also makes ongoing work possible for people living outside the therapist's immediate area, including international clients, while keeping the focus on steady progress toward recovery and daily functioning.