Therapy is a safe space to explore and understand our questions, and be unburdened from the weights that hold us down.
Life does not come with an instruction manual. Figuring out how to live and to be authentic, cope with the hurts and struggles life throws at us, and learn how to live the best life we can is each of our task in this life. We can’t do this alone, but oftentimes we feel unmoored, as if we don’t have the supports we need to cope and to manage. We all need help from time to time, or most of the time. Sometimes our needs and struggles are more than we can handle, even with the help of friends and family. Therapy provides a safe place to ask the questions that scare us, to figure out the things that don’t make sense, to find connection in our loneliness, and healing from our hurts. Therapy helps us to find the things that are blocking our ability to feel good and to be authentic, to accept who we are and strive to be our best self. It is a place to find healing and acceptance, and to shed the internal burdens that bind us. Therapy helps us to tell our story and shape it, to be our authentic selves and take charge of our lives. My approach as a therapist is to provide warm and attentive listening, unconditional positive regard, gentle honesty and encouragement, as I join with you in the project of telling and understanding your story, and feeling your best.
What to expect
Loneliness, sadness, anxiety and fear, lack of direction and purpose: these are common struggles we face in a modern world and bustling city, where we are surrounded by people but often feel disconnected and unknown. Overcoming these obstacles is not easy, but therapy provides a space and a connection to help you through.
I am available for weekly fifty-minute appointments where we can unravel the challenges and struggles that make you feel stuck, find healing for past hurts, learn new approaches and perspectives to make life easier, and be your most authentic self. Private pay rates are $150-$175 per session, sliding scale is available. Payment due at the end of the hour. I accept cash, check, Venmo, PayPal, and Google Pay, or credit/debit card. A 5% additional processing fee will be charged for credit/debit card purchases. Insurance clients are responsible only for their copay or coinsurance. I am paneled with Optum, United, Regence, and Premera Blue Cross, and accept all Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance. I do not currently accept other insurance. However, most insurance companies will provide reimbursement for out-of-network therapy, and I provide monthly invoices for this purpose.
I offer in-person therapy on Fridays at my Bothell office. Otherwise, I am seeing clients through telemedicine only, using a secure video conferencing platform. Please contact me at zachary.shaeffer@gmail.com or 202-713-6826 to schedule a free fifteen minute phone consultation to find out if we are a good fit for your therapy needs.
about me
I grew up in Southern California and moved to Seattle with my family after living in Washington, D.C. for twelve years. I am a clinical social worker licensed in D.C. (#LC50085061) and Washington (#60963612). I received my Master of Social Work (MSW) from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. I also have a Master of Divinity (MDiv) from Princeton Theological Seminary. I received my Bachelor’s degree at Biola University in California. I completed a two-year certificate in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy at the Washington School of Psychiatry. I have experience working with children as a school counselor and in the child welfare system, and working with children, teens, and adults in private practice. I have worked extensively with issues of anxiety, depression, trauma, attachment, adoption, grief and loss, and adjusting to life transitions.