Allison Sheaffer

Allison Sheaffer is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Georgia. She specializes in complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and stress. Allison works with individuals across the lifespan, from adolescence throughout adulthood. She engages clients in individual, as well as family and couples therapy. Many of her clients seek her services when they are undergoing a new life transition or time of increased stress.

Allison utilizes a trauma-informed lens in her clinical treatment, with the understanding that experiences from the past can greatly impact an individual’s current and future wellbeing. Allison is strength-based in her practice, with a focus on helping clients identify and understand their personal strengths, skills, and resources to increase their internal resiliency and build upon it in therapy. Allison is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is a structured therapeutic technique that encourages the client to briefly focus on a traumatic memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), to desensitize the vividness and emotion associated with the traumatic memories. Along with EMDR, Allison is trained in and utilizes a variety of modalities, including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and solution focused therapy to meet each client's specific needs. She is flexible in her approach and collaborates with clients to ensure that each therapeutic session is helpful, supportive, and focused.

Allison is experienced in working with individuals who have survived physical and sexual abuse, and childhood trauma and neglect. Her clients have experienced life transitions, including divorce, adoption, and loss. She is also trained in substance abuse counseling. She provides a safe and comfortable space to process past events, explore and resolve current stressors, and create positive life changes.

Allison works at JRD Counseling and offers telehealth appointments during the week (Mon-Thurs).