Patrick Shanahan

Patrick Shanahan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Missouri with 44 years of clinical experience. He works with people facing relationship struggles, grief, anger, low self-esteem, depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and intimacy issues. He also supports people dealing with parenting, career shifts, caregiving strain, and major life changes.

Patrick believes people are generally self-correcting and that they can move in healthier directions once stuck patterns are noticed. He pays attention to personal values and cultural background when helping someone find direction. He has studied comparative religions and cultures to better understand a wide range of life views.

Early in his career he founded and ran an outpatient clinic attached to a runaway and homeless youth shelter. For 18 years he provided case management and individual and family therapy in both shelter and community settings. He also trained and supervised paid staff and graduate students and worked with a university on research to refine clinical approaches.

Later work included part-time outpatient counseling in a professional Christian therapy setting and 18 years with managed care, providing phone-based therapy and crisis intervention while helping members use mental health benefits. His practice has also included outpatient office work addressing addiction, family systems, and communication issues.

Patrick’s approach integrates several methods such as Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Attachment-Based work, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered practices, and brief family and problem-solving techniques. He aims to help people name hard emotions, clarify values, and take practical steps toward better relationships and daily coping.

How his approaches translate to online work