Shawn Strohfus

Shawn Strohfus is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 11 years of experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, bipolar disorder, and depression, and offers support around life purpose concerns.

Shawn takes a straightforward, collaborative approach. Sessions focus on practical skills and clearer thinking. She talks through current problems and helps clients notice patterns that keep them stuck.

Her work also addresses issues such as attachment concerns, codependency, communication problems, workplace stress, and caregiver strain. She will discuss relationship dynamics and how they affect mood and decision making. Shawn can help people facing divorce, commitment doubts, or forgiveness questions.

Shawn uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to build self-awareness and coping tools. She emphasizes steady progress rather than quick fixes, and adjusts pacing to what feels manageable. Expect direct conversation about thoughts, behaviors, and small experiments to test new ways of responding.

Sessions are practical and goal-oriented while remaining conversational. Shawn helps people chart next steps when they feel uncertain about work, relationships, or life direction. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session that sets clear goals and priorities.

Approaches used in online work and how they help

Shawn uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques aimed at clear, practical change. One common approach focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns to reduce anxiety and low mood; this involves noticing automatic thoughts and testing more balanced perspectives. Another approach centers on building skills for emotion regulation and mood stability, which can help people manage symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression by introducing routines and coping strategies.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaboration. Shawn will work with each person to decide which techniques fit their goals, needs, and learning style. That decision is reviewed over the first few sessions so methods can be adjusted if something isn’t helping.

If you plan to work online, confirm the specific session formats available before booking. Many people find online sessions easier to fit around work and family, allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and remove travel time so therapy fits into a busy day. Shawn aims to make sessions practical and applicable to everyday life while working with clients to choose the best way to connect.