Dr. Shaffer specializes in delivering evidence-based psychotherapies to address a wide range of concerns working with teens 15 and older, college students, and adults. She has expertise in treating ADHD, depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder), obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, complicated grief, and eating disorders and body image concerns.

Dr. Shaffer's treatment incorporates cognitive, behavioral, mindfulness, and acceptance-based techniques.

She has received extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which forms the foundation of her clinical work and therapeutic approach. Dr. Shaffer has also received expert training in the following evidence-based treatments: Behavioral Activation (BA) for depression; Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for trauma; Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); and Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E) for eating disorders.

Dr. Shaffer creates a relaxed, genuine space where she partners with clients to navigate challenges and build more meaningful lives. Her individualized, collaborative, goal-oriented approach draws on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, incorporating mindfulness and acceptance techniques to support lasting change. Dr. Shaffer helps clients increase engagement in valued activities, improve emotional regulation and distress tolerance, understand patterns in thinking and behavior, and identify what is important and meaningful to them so they can make concrete changes to overcome barriers and pursue valued living.

In her free time, Dr. Shaffer enjoys spending time outdoors, trying new restaurants, traveling, playing guitar, and spending time with her partner and their cat.

Education and Training:

Dr. Shaffer earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology, summa cum laude, from Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She went on to earn her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.

She completed her pre-doctoral internship training at WVU Medicine in Martinsburg, West Virginia, where she specialized in treating PTSD, anxiety disorders, and OCD. Dr. Shaffer is completing her postdoctoral training at Foothills CBT in Boulder, Colorado.

Dr. Shaffer has taught undergraduate-level statistics, and has presented to medical students, community members, and professionals on topics including self-care and burnout, alcohol misuse, and process-based approaches to therapy.

Publications

Shaffer, O., Karimi, V., Bastien, J., & Bresin, K. (working manuscript). The association between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and problematic alcohol use: A meta-analysis.

Varma, S., Sanford, E. M., Marupudi, V., Shaffer, O., & Lea, R.B. (2024). Recruitment of magnitude representations to understand graded words. Cognitive Psychology, 153, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2024.101673