Jennifer Shaw

Therapy Approach

Making the decision to enter therapy is an important one. I commend you for taking this first step. I enjoy working with adults who wish to focus on the intricacies of their lives thus creating opportunities for personal growth. I work with all adults and specialize in working with people who identify as LGBTQA+. I am a member of WPATH [The World Professional Association for Transgender Health] and NASW [National Association of Social Workers] Massachusetts LGBTQA discussion group. As I believe we all benefit from lifelong learning, I attend a variety of clinical trainings, and participant in ongoing clinical learning opportunities including having participated for 5 years in a transgender consultation group that involved both a reading discussion and clinical consultation.

I utilize strength-based ideology that focuses on what is going well, and then leverage resources the people have to navigate life challenges; it is a collaborative process. I often use rational and attachment frameworks in my practice and feel that appropriately placed humor can help in the healing process. Working together we learn to identify patterns and triggers while expanding your coping skills.

I have over 30 years’ experience working in the field of mental health ranging from working in an Early Intervention program with medically fragile babies, directing the Healthy Families Framingham region program, supervising an outpatient clinic and supervising both child and adolescent psychiatric units at a major Boston area hospital. As a therapist, I have worked with children, adolescents, adults and couples including working with parents whose children face both medical and mental health challenges. I also have extensive experience working as a supervisor and administrator of mental health programs.

Approaches I Use