Shayna Schaefer, LCSW

Shayna Schaefer is a licensed clinical social worker with 28 years of experience helping people face major life changes. She focuses on building self-worth and improving how people communicate with others. She guides clients through stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and longtime patterns that interfere with day-to-day life.

Schaefer uses a collaborative, person-centered style. Sessions are an opportunity to talk through what matters most, name difficult feelings, and try small changes that make daily life easier. She often pairs practical strategies with deeper reflection so people can both cope now and understand recurring patterns.

Her work covers many concerns, including grief, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, eating and body image problems, and caregiver stress. She also supports people dealing with career transitions, parenting strains, adoption and foster care matters, and aging and geriatric issues that come up over time.

Shayna uses several therapeutic methods to match what each person needs. She draws on cognitive behavioral ideas to shift unhelpful thoughts, mindfulness practices to calm the body and mind, and acceptance-based work to clarify values and next steps. Sessions include straightforward tools and real-world practice between meetings.

She offers help in English and Spanish. People who want to begin are invited to use the site's Start Therapy flow to match and schedule a first appointment. The focus is on steady progress and making therapy useful for everyday life.

Therapeutic approaches you can use in online sessions

Shayna commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on helping people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and clarifying what matters so they can take meaningful steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and uses straightforward exercises to change patterns that cause distress.

Finding the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide whether to emphasize acceptance work, skill-based CBT tools, or a blend that fits the situation.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking so you know which formats are available. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. It can also make it simpler to continue care during life transitions or when schedules change. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises like mindfulness practices, behavioral tasks, and values-based planning to remote sessions so clients can practice between meetings.