Jessica Shaffer, CSW-PIP

Jessica Shaffer is a licensed social worker who combines clinical training with years of frontline experience to support young people and adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, addiction, relationship challenges, and other life transitions. She emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as the primary tool in counseling and is skilled at building trusting connections that make treatment practical and collaborative.

Shaffer has worked in the mental health field since 2003 and has been practicing therapy since 2011. She currently provides individual and group therapy primarily for youth ages 5 to 18 and occasionally for adults, often addressing histories of trauma as well as concerns such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and parenting or family issues. Her clinical toolkit includes solution-focused strategies, crisis intervention, cognitive behavioral techniques, and mindfulness practices tailored to each person’s needs.

Earlier in her career she worked in a locked correctional facility in Colorado, specializing in crisis therapy with acutely suicidal clients and in the diagnosis and treatment of severe and persistent mental illness. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Black Hills State University in 2003 and a Master of Social Work from Newman University in 2010. Shaffer is licensed in South Dakota as a Certified Social Worker in Private Independent Practice (CSW-PIP) and enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and being outdoors. She is enthusiastic about providing therapy in online formats and integrating approaches that fit each client’s goals.