About Susan Shafer
Therapist
MA, LPC, 500-CYT, Advanced Accredited
and Certified EFT Practitioner
Licensed Counselor specializing in childhood trauma, somatic therapy, and EFT tapping
I work with adults who understand themselves well but still don’t feel different inside.
You may have already been in therapy, talked through your past, and gained insight into where your patterns come from. But your body may still react as if something is wrong. You may feel anxious, easily triggered, disconnected, overwhelmed, or frustrated that understanding what happened hasn't created the peace you expected.
This is the kind of work I love doing.
I specialize in childhood trauma, somatic therapy, and Emotional Freedom Techniques, also known as EFT tapping. My approach combines psychotherapy with body-based practices so we can work with both what you understand intellectually and what you continue to experience emotionally and physically.
The goal isn't to keep analyzing the past forever. It's to help you understand what is happening now, learn practical ways to regulate yourself, and feel more grounded, connected, and confident in your ability to care for yourself.
My Therapy Specialities
Childhood Trauma
You can understand your childhood and still carry its effects years later.
You may know exactly where your reactions come from but still find yourself triggered, disconnected, overly self-critical, or repeating patterns you thought you had already worked through.
My background includes extensive crisis management and trauma treatment, including intensive work involving children. That experience shaped my understanding of how early experiences can continue to influence the way adults feel, cope, connect, and respond.
I don't believe trauma therapy should mean forcing you back into painful memories before you're ready. We begin by helping you understand what is happening in your mind and body today and building the skills to feel more regulated.
The goal is not simply to understand your past. It's to help you live differently in the present.
Somatic Therapy
Sometimes your mind knows you're okay, but your body hasn't gotten the message.
You may tell yourself to calm down and still feel activated. Know you're safe and still feel unsafe. Or feel exhausted from trying to think your way through something that keeps showing up physically.
Somatic therapy brings the body directly into the work.
We may use body awareness, movement, breathing, grounding, visualization, yoga-informed practices, or tapping to understand what your nervous system is communicating and help it settle.
I explain what we're doing and why we're doing it so you can develop practical tools you can eventually use on your own.
EFT Tapping
Many clients come to me saying some version of:
“I understand why I feel this way. Why doesn't knowing that make it go away?”
EFT tapping helps us work with that gap.
As an Advanced Accredited, Certified EFT Practitioner, I guide you through tapping on the face and upper body while we focus on specific thoughts, feelings, memories, or physical sensations. This allows us to bring the mind and body into the process together.
Tapping may be helpful for anxiety, trauma-related reactions, emotional blocks, repeating patterns, harsh self-criticism, or experiences that still feel emotionally charged even after you've talked about them extensively.
We don't push. We work at a pace that feels manageable while helping you build more awareness, regulation, and self-trust.
My Approach
I believe good therapy should help you understand yourself and give you practical ways to create change.
My style combines psychotherapy with EFT tapping, somatic awareness, mindfulness, breathwork, movement, yoga-informed practices, and IFS-informed work depending on what makes sense for you.
I want to understand what you've already tried, where you continue getting stuck, and what happens in your body when you feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or triggered.
For trauma work especially, pacing matters. I don't believe healing requires forcing yourself through experiences your system isn't ready to process.
We build regulation, awareness, and trust first.
I also place a strong emphasis on teaching you what we're doing and why. My goal isn't for you to need therapy forever. I want you to develop tools that help you understand yourself and care for yourself outside our sessions.
Over time, the work is about feeling more grounded, more connected to yourself, and more confident in knowing what you need.
About Me
I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Advanced Accredited, Certified EFT Practitioner, and Certified 500 Hour Yoga Instructor.
I've spent nearly two decades in the counseling field, with extensive experience in trauma treatment and crisis management before transitioning into a full-time virtual private practice with adults.
Some of the most formative work of my career involved working with children. As a crisis counselor, I rode alongside first responders when a child was present during a potentially traumatic event. Seeing trauma up close helped shape the way I understand the lasting impact early experiences can have.
Therapy, yoga, and tapping have also been a wellness trifecta in my own life. These practices helped me cultivate greater self-acceptance, awareness, and peace, and they continue to influence the way I work with clients today.
Outside of work, I practice yoga, meditation, tapping, and exercise. I also enjoy spending time with family, traveling, binge-watching comedies, volunteering, and outdoor activities that don't require running.
Education, Credentials, and Trainings
Education
M.A.
University of North Carolina-Charlotte, 2008
Licensure & Credentials
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC)
North Carolina #8482
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
New Jersey #37PC00876900
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
New Hampshire #3481
Advanced Accredited, Certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Practitioner
Certified 500 Hour Yoga Instructor
National Board Certified Counselor
NBCC #240852
Areas of Training & Experience
Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed therapy
Extensive crisis management experience
Extensive trauma treatment experience
Childhood trauma
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping)
Somatic and body-based approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Mindfulness-based approaches
Breathwork, movement, and yoga-informed practices
Virtual Therapy
I provide virtual mental health counseling for adults in New Jersey, North Carolina and New Hampshire.
I also provide EFT tapping services nationwide.
If you've already spent a lot of time understanding what happened and are ready for an approach that includes both your mind and your body, I'd be happy to connect.