About Jessica
Jessica Shaffer, CSW-PIP, offers support for people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and trauma. She communicates plainly and focuses on building a trusting relationship so clients feel heard. Jessica aims to find practical steps that fit each person’s life.
She writes clearly and meets people where they are in the moment. She draws on more than a decade of therapy experience, bringing both clinical and personal perspectives to sessions. Jessica uses approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy to help people spot unhelpful patterns and try small, manageable changes.
Background and approach
Motivational Interviewing guides conversations about readiness and goals, and Trauma-Focused Therapy is used when trauma is part of the story. Jessica has worked in a range of settings, including crisis care in a correctional facility and ongoing mental health services. That background shapes how she handles high-stress situations and strong emotions.
She helps people manage symptoms like sleep problems, anger, addiction, and compassion fatigue while also addressing relationship and communication problems. Sessions can involve short-term problem solving or longer-term work on self-esteem, parenting stress, career shifts, or coping with life changes. Jessica explains options and together they choose a clear plan with concrete steps.
She emphasizes collaboration and keeps language simple so busy parents can follow along. She holds a Master of Social Work and is credentialed as a Certified Social Worker in personal Independent Practice, CSW-PIP. Jessica practices from South Dakota and conducts sessions in English.
How Jessica Uses Practical Therapies Online
Jessica commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify thought and behavior patterns that increase anxiety or depression. In short sessions she helps clients test new ways of thinking and try small behavioral changes to see what works. Motivational Interviewing is another approach she uses to explore a person’s readiness to change and to set goals that feel doable and meaningful.Choosing the right approach is part of the work she does with each person. She will discuss different methods and together decide which fit the client’s needs, goals, and preferences. This collaborative process helps set clear, realistic steps and timescales for change.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to give flexibility. Video calls allow more visual cues and longer sessions. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief check-ins, homework feedback, or people who prefer writing over speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and keep consistent work over time.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- First responder issues
- LGBT
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Sleeping disorders
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 12 years
- Licensed
- South Dakota
- Languages
- English
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