Shad St. Paul, LICSW

Shad St. Paul is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) who offers compassionate, person-focused therapy in Washington. He centers sessions on what matters most to the client and helps people take practical steps toward feeling better. His work addresses struggles like addiction, depression, low self-esteem, anger, and trauma.

Shad uses straightforward, goal-oriented methods to tackle specific problems. He blends Client-Centered Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) approaches to help people change unhelpful patterns and manage strong emotions. Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy also appear in his practice to support motivation and personal meaning.

Across 14 years of practice, Shad has focused on both substance use and mental health concerns. He draws on experience helping people facing drug and alcohol addiction, codependency, commitment questions, and communication problems. He also works with issues such as obsessive thoughts, phobias, paranoia, and disruptive mood symptoms.

In sessions, Shad emphasizes clear tools and steady collaboration. Clients can expect practical strategies for handling jealousy, guilt, shame, and family stress. He frames therapy as a step-by-step process rather than a quick fix.

Shad practices in Washington and conducts work in English. He does not accept international clients. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions based on the clinician's availability.

How Shad’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building on a person’s strengths. In practice this means the therapist follows the client’s lead, reflects what they say, and helps them decide next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills to change those patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, obsessions, and problems with low self-esteem.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to identify which methods fit their needs and goals. That collaboration can include trying a skill-based strategy for a few weeks and then shifting to a narrative or motivational focus if that better supports progress.

Confirm session formats before booking so you know what is offered at the time. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by reducing commute time and allowing shorter check-ins when needed. It can also make skills practice between sessions more immediate, since exercises and worksheets can be shared and reviewed during appointments. Licensed professionals help clients adapt these approaches to the online setting and to real-life scheduling constraints.