Jaxon Shaffer, MA

I am an experienced trauma and gender therapist who is dedicated to supporting queer and transgender adults, teens, and children cope with minority stress, relational trauma, neurodivergence, relationship challenges, and gender transition.

As a non-binary trans-masculine clinician, I am dedicated to helping clients who are transgender, non-binary, agender, gender expansive, or clients who are questioning their gender identity. Understanding that so many of us have been harmed by the medical system (including therapists), I first and foremost strive to create a therapeutic relationship that feels safe and welcoming. Secondly, I am passionate about guiding my clients through their journey with gender: establishing a strong sense of self, coming out, dealing with challenging family responses and dynamics, considering or maintaining physical interventions to treat dysphoria, navigating educational and medical systems or/or workplaces, learning to cope with and exist within a cis and heteronormative society. Thirdly, it is essential that my clients feel as though their gender IS NOT a problem to be solved and is not the sole focus of therapy.

When supporting clients processing trauma, I use an evidence-based modality called Narrative Exposure Therapy that helps to make sense of overwhelming or traumatic experiences by telling their story in a safe, structured way. Instead of avoiding memories or feeling swallowed by them, NET guides you through creating a coherent narrative of your life — honoring moments of pain and resilience.

By placing events in order and connecting them to your emotions, your body’s survival responses can finally settle. Many people find that NET helps reduce symptoms of PTSD, build self-understanding, and restore a sense of control over their story. It’s a collaborative, grounding method that supports you in integrating what you’ve lived through so you can move forward with more clarity and ease.

At the heart of my work is a passion for addressing what philosopher Miranda Fricker called hermeneutical injustice—the harm that occurs when people lack the language or societal frameworks to make sense of their own experiences. I believe therapy can be a place to restore that missing language: to help clients name what has been unnamed, understand what has been misunderstood, and articulate their truths in ways that foster both self-knowledge and access. Becoming a therapist was rooted in my belief that language is liberation, and that being understood is essential to healing and belonging.

My style is relational, grounded, and transparent. The therapeutic relationship itself is central to my work—I often engage authentically in the room, sharing reflections or emotional responses to help clients better understand the impact they have in their relationships.

Outside of therapy, I’m an athlete and sports enthusiast who finds joy and strength in running, tennis, softball, and time outdoors. A lifelong agnostic with a deep love for animals—especially dogs—I value curiosity, humility, and the many ways people find and make meaning in their lives.