David Schaffer

From the first session, David Schaffer wants to understand — not diagnose, not advise, but genuinely grasp what a person is carrying and where they hope to go. That means listening without judgment and with real concern, because effective help has to be grounded in what is actually happening in someone’s life, not a template for what usually happens. David is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Williamstown, West Virginia, who works with teenagers, young adults, men, and women navigating struggles that range from anxiety, depression, and addiction to abuse, trauma, and the slow erosion that professional burnout can bring.

His therapeutic approach draws from the behavioral tradition — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He is particularly drawn to ACT’s emphasis on values clarification: helping people identify what actually gives their life meaning, whether that is faith, relationships, a moral framework, or long-held hopes. For many clients, that work of reconnection begins with slowing down — something genuinely difficult when the habit of constant scrolling keeps the nervous system in a low-grade state of alert long after the screen goes dark.

Mindfulness runs throughout David’s work, and he will sometimes teach meditation directly in session. He brings a fourteen-year personal meditation practice to that teaching — not as a credential, but as lived familiarity with what the practice actually asks of a person. Sessions are available online.