About Shari
Shari Schaffer is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Texas with 15 years of experience in clinical and educational settings. She works with people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, and other life challenges.
Background and approach
Her manner is warm and interactive, and she focuses on practical steps people can use day to day. Shari has helped clients facing parenting struggles, career setbacks, attention difficulties, and problems related to addiction and grief.
She has particular experience supporting people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. She draws on a range of approaches to match each person’s needs.
Sessions aim to be respectful and compassionate. Shari emphasizes listening first, then working together to set clear goals.
She uses techniques that help people notice their values, change unhelpful patterns, and build small, doable habits. Her work blends client-centered listening with evidence-informed tools such as mindfulness and motivational interviewing.
She also uses narrative and existential ideas to help people make sense of tough experiences and find purpose. Treatment is tailored - pace, focus, and methods shift based on what a person needs.
People who choose Shari often want a collaborative therapist who offers straightforward feedback and practical strategies. She meets people where they are and helps them create concrete steps toward more manageable days and healthier relationships.
How these approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice what matters to them and take small steps toward those values. It often focuses on accepting uncomfortable feelings while choosing actions that match personal goals. Client-Centered Therapy centers on empathic listening and meeting each person without judgment, which helps people feel heard and clearer about what they want. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm, which can be useful for anxiety, stress, and grief.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Shari will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That might mean trying a few techniques and adjusting the plan as progress unfolds, with regular check-ins to make sure the approach remains helpful.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let people use visual cues for deeper discussion, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is low, live chat is useful for shorter check-ins, and ongoing text-based messaging supports continuing reflection between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and keep momentum between meetings.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Texas
- Languages
- English