Anxiety Counseling in St. Louis and CBT with Molly Shaffer, Trauma Therapist
Here at Compassionate Counseling St. Louis, our therapists are amazing! We have a great team dedicated to helping kids, teens, and college students learn more about managing their anxiety and anger. (And one of our therapists has also started offering parent support, it’s like therapy for parents.) We’re committed to tailoring our approach to you!
It can be overwhelming to chose a therapist for your child. To help you in your search, we’re focusing on one of our therapists each week this month, to help you get to know them better. (And if your teen is unsure about meeting with someone, having them read these posts can help them feel more comfortable with their decision.)
This week we’re focusing on St. Louis counseling with Trauma Therapist Molly Shaffer, MA, LPC, Certified TF-CBT Therapist
What does a first anxiety counseling session with Molly look like?
In a first session, Molly takes time to build rapport, get to know each other, go over some of our policies, start thinking about goals for therapy. For clients who come with parents, the first 10 minutes is a quick parent check in and then the remaining time is 1:1 with her new client.
What approach to anxiety therapy does Molly use?
As specialists in anxiety and anger, all of our therapists incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and teach coping skills. Molly is also a certified Trauma Focused CBT therapist. She focuses on building trust with clients while using CBT to work together to make the changes her clients want to see. Molly says, “I use a lot of CBT to help people reframe current thoughts/feelings/actions into more positive to create wanted change. I also focus a lot on what motivates client's and some motivational interviewing techniques to help them determine their most important goal(s).”
Why did Molly decide to become a trauma therapist who works with anxiety and anger in kids and teens?
Molly has always valued mental health and loves people! She says, “Honestly I love people, talking to them, getting to know them and so I felt counseling was a great fit for me because i can do something that comes natural while also helping people at the same time….I love to see my client's lives change for the better!”
If she weren't an anxiety therapist, what would Molly do?
Molly likes kids and sports and is competitive, so she thinks maybe a teacher or a baseketball coach.
What are some of Molly’s favorite things?
Molly enjoys spending time with her family, doing things outside, and sports.
How do I connect with Molly for child counseling, anxiety counseling, trauma counseling, or therapy for teens?
The first step is to schedule a free 15 minute call to learn more about Compassionate Counseling St. Louis. You’ll talk to our intake coordinator briefly about what’s going on, get a chance to ask any questions you may have, and then book an appointment with Molly or one of our other amazing therapists.
Feeling like you could use some extra parent coaching and support?
Check out our Therapeutic Parent Coaching. It’s like therapy for parents and focuses on helping you master the tools you need, so you can help your child navigate their anxiety or trauma.
Compassionate Counseling St. Louis specializes in anxiety therapy for teens, kids, and college students, along with partnering with parents through parent coaching - basically therapy for parents here in St. Louis. We’re located in Clayton and work with clients throughout the St. Louis region. To schedule a free phone consultation, please use our contact page.