Susan Shafer

Susan Shafer is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing with about 15 years of experience. She works with people facing anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, ADHD, trauma-related difficulties, and career concerns. Her style is warm and accepting, with an emphasis on practical tools clients can use in daily life.

Her background includes a master’s degree in Community Counseling from the University of North Carolina–Charlotte and long experience across child, adolescent, and adult settings. She blends traditional psychotherapy with wellness practices such as breath work and gentle movement. This combination aims to help people notice how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect.

In sessions she often uses client-centered methods alongside cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness. She also incorporates motivational and solution-focused strategies to help people set clear goals and try small, manageable steps. Her approach aims to strengthen coping skills and reduce symptoms that get in the way of work, relationships, and daily functioning.

Susan also uses Emotional Freedom Techniques, often called tapping, and integrates it when appropriate to address stress, strong emotions, and trauma memories. She invites each person to choose what feels helpful and adjusts techniques to match their pace.

People who start with her can expect collaborative goal-setting and concrete tools to practice between sessions. She encourages questions and works to make therapy practical and relevant to each person’s life.

How specific approaches translate to online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, respect, and following the client’s pace. In practice this means the therapist reflects what a person says and helps them find their own answers, which can be useful for issues like low self-esteem and life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts affect feelings and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often applied to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and career stress by setting small experiments and practicing new ways of thinking.

Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to the present moment through simple practices like breathing and body awareness. It can reduce reactivity to strong emotions and help with coping skills for stress and grief.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that fit their goals, needs, and preferences, and will adjust methods over time based on what helps.

Confirm current session options before booking because this profile does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Many people find that virtual sessions let them practice skills in everyday settings and transfer new habits directly into their routine.