Jessica Shaffer

Jessica Shaffer, CSW-PIP, helps people who are facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, addiction, relationship and parenting struggles, and other life changes. She speaks plainly and focuses on building a trusting working relationship to begin addressing the problem together.

She has been in the mental health field since 2003 and has practiced therapy since 2011. Jessica has worked with youth ages 5-18 and with some adults, providing individual and group therapy. Her background includes work in a locked correctional facility in Colorado, where she focused on crisis therapy for people who were acutely suicidal and on treatment for serious, persistent mental illness.

Jessica uses a mix of approaches depending on a person’s needs. That can include Trauma-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, motivational interviewing, crisis intervention, and mindfulness techniques. She aims to find what will work best for each person rather than following a single script.

Sessions start by looking at immediate concerns and goals. She helps people develop practical strategies for coping, improving sleep, managing anger, handling first responder stress, and improving communication. Jessica also supports people working through self-harm and compassion fatigue.

Jessica earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Black Hills State University and a Master of Social Work from Newman University in Colorado Springs. She is licensed in South Dakota as a Certified Social Worker in Private Independent Practice, CSW-PIP. In her free time she enjoys traveling, family time, and the outdoors.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Trauma-Focused Therapy focuses on helping a person address and process traumatic experiences in ways that reduce their ongoing impact. It often involves pacing the work, teaching grounding and coping skills, and building a sense of safety before approaching painful memories.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It helps people test unhelpful thoughts, build new habits, and practice concrete skills for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and anger management.

Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-focused style that helps people strengthen motivation for change. It is useful when someone feels stuck around substance use, self-harm, or making life changes.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Jessica will help identify which methods fit a person’s goals, experiences, and daily life. She combines practical skill-building with collaborative planning so the person helps guide what comes next.

Confirm the current session formats before booking, since the biography does not list them. Online options can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow a person to check in from a quieter spot or during a short break. Discussing preferences and needs at the first session helps shape how therapy will be delivered.