FS Portrait of Dr. Freda Shipman

Dr. Freda Shipman, LCSW

Experienced LCSW offering practical support

25 years in practice · based in Virginia · sessions in English · online sessions

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About Freda

Dr. Freda Shipman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 25 years of experience helping people face anxiety and other life challenges. She offers steady, practical support in a warm, down-to-earth way.

Her approach is collaborative and respectful. Her work often focuses on stress, coping with life changes, grief, and relationship concerns. She also addresses parenting strain, anger, career transitions, and financial worries.

Dr. Shipman supports people dealing with trauma, abuse, chronic illness, cancer, and end-of-life planning.

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Background and approach

She uses straightforward, goal-minded methods that fit each person’s needs. Sessions blend talking through difficult feelings with finding small, workable steps forward. Dr.

Shipman draws on Client-Centered Therapy to listen closely and build on each person's strengths. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ideas are used to notice and change unhelpful thinking patterns. She also uses Solution-Focused Therapy to set short-term goals and Motivational Interviewing to help people find the motivation to change.

Internal Family Systems ideas can help people understand inner conflicts and self-care. Dr. Shipman brings practical experience from clinical settings and long-term work with caregivers, older adults, and people facing disability or medical challenges.

She respects each person’s story and helps them map clear next steps. If someone wants steady guidance for anxiety, life transition, or caregiving stress, she offers a calm, experienced presence.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Dr. Shipman blends Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address anxiety and related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely, reflecting what matters to the person, and building on strengths to move forward. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts and behaviors connect and uses practical exercises to reduce stress and change unhelpful patterns.

She treats approach selection as a joint process. Early sessions are spent understanding goals, daily routines, and what feels most pressing. Together they decide whether short-term solution-focused work or deeper internal exploration will be most useful given the person’s needs and preferences.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video calls let people see nonverbal cues and run fuller sessions. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging are useful for quick reflections, homework check-ins, or when writing helps organize thoughts. These formats help fit therapy into busy lives and make ongoing support more accessible.
Book with Freda Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What concerns does she help with?
She works with anxiety, stress, grief, relationship strain, parenting strain, anger, career changes, and many life transitions.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is warm, collaborative, and practical. She listens closely and helps set concrete, manageable goals.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 25 years of experience working in clinical settings with people facing medical, caregiving, and life transition challenges.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - licensed in North Carolina and Virginia and practices from Virginia.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does payment and scheduling work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire.

What this therapist works with

Most often

Experience
25 years
Licensed
North Carolina, Virginia
Languages
English

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