Patrick Shanahan
Compassionate guidance for life transitions
LCSW Missouri
- Experience
- 44 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Relationship, Grief, Anger
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Patrick
Patrick Shanahan is a licensed clinical social worker with 44 years of practice who helps people navigate relationship strain, grief, addiction, anxiety, depression, and other life transitions. He emphasizes that people are often self-correcting and focuses on helping clients move past the stuck points that block healthier living.
Background and approach
His work is informed by study of values, comparative religions, and cultural differences to tailor direction and solutions to each person’s belief system. Shanahan’s career began building and running an outpatient clinic at a runaway and homeless youth shelter, where he provided case management, individual and family therapy, and community-based services.
He later supervised staff and graduate students, collaborated with a university on research to refine clinical models, and completed doctoral coursework in family therapy. His clinical repertoire includes cognitive behavioral approaches, brief family therapy, structural and strategic systems theory, hypnotherapy, addiction therapies, and emotion- and attachment-focused work.
He has also provided managed care phone therapy, crisis intervention, and outpatient counseling in Missouri, and he accepts international clients via online formats.
Therapeutic approaches and online access
Patrick Shanahan works with approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to address unhelpful thinking patterns and to build practical coping strategies. CBT focuses on identifying and shifting thinking and behavior patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulties. ACT emphasizes clarifying values and committing to actions that align with what matters most, often helping with stress, grief, and life changes.He also integrates attachment-based ideas to explore relational patterns and emotional bonds, which can be helpful for intimacy issues and family concerns. Choosing the right approach is collaborative; the therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and life context with each client and adapt methods so they fit the person's needs rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model.
Online therapy provides flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, allowing people to access licensed professionals from different locations including international clients who speak English. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity during transitions, and try therapeutic techniques in everyday environments while partnering with a clinician to work toward meaningful change.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
What is the therapist's general approach in sessions?
How much clinical experience does he have?
What are his credentials and where does he practice?
Can someone who speaks another language work with him?
What session formats are offered?
How is cost handled for sessions?
What are the first steps to begin therapy with him?
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
44+ years
Licensed
Missouri
Languages
English