My Approach to Helping

Dr. Robert Shafer PhD is a trustworthy professional therapist with more than 40 years in practice. He has had extensive experience with a wide variety of clients and presenting problems. His strength rests on his exceptional ability to listen and understand from an empathic perspective. Whether you are struggling with personal identity, a relationship, or emotional issues, Dr. Shafer will help you explore your unique, subjective experience and make sense of it in a way which is both deeply meaningful and healing.
As a father of five and grandfather of ten, Dr. Shafer has a gentle demeanor and knows the value of parental warmth and strength in resolving problems. The kind of wise and compassionate support he is able to provide helps to relieve emotional distress and empower individuals to make more effective choices. Exploring strengths and weaknesses in the light of early experiences which have shaped them, you will gain clarity about where you are stuck and how best to move forward with your life.
Because no two individuals are alike, there is no ?one size fits all? method or strategy for effective psychotherapy. Dr. Shafer?s treatment philosophy is based on the view that emotional growth best occurs in a trusting relationship. Psychotherapy is a collaboration between therapist and client which supports self-understanding, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Licensed in family and marriage counseling, Dr. Shafer received his degree in clinical psychology at the Cambridge Graduate School of Psychology in Los Angeles and did advanced trained at the Los Angeles Institute for Contemporary Psychoanalysis. He works in a comfortable home office which invites you to engage in a relaxed, conversational approach to solving your problems.
If you are in need of an individual or family therapist in the Santa Barbara area, call Dr. Shafer today at 805-969-7474