About Freda
Dr. Freda Shipman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience supporting adults through major life transitions and emotional challenges. She focuses on practical approaches that help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and relationship strains.
Her style is warm and direct, aiming to create a comfortable space for honest conversation. Dr. Shipman uses methods that center the individual and their goals.
She draws on client-centered work to listen deeply and build trust.
How Freda works
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify unhelpful thinking and try new ways of responding. Motivational Interviewing helps when people feel stuck and want to make meaningful changes. Her broader focus includes caregiving stress, aging and geriatric issues, cancer and end-of-life concerns, and challenges tied to disability or cognitive differences.
She also addresses career shifts, financial stress, parenting questions, and family-of-origin issues. These areas often come up together, and she helps people sort the most urgent priorities. Sessions are practical and goal-oriented.
Dr. Shipman helps people set small, achievable steps and checks progress together. She adapts techniques to match each person’s pace and preferences.
She practices in Virginia and holds both North Carolina and Virginia LCSW credentials. Dr. Shipman offers conversations that aim for clarity, relief, and a clearer sense of direction.
Freda lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Freda works with
The areas below are the ones Freda selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intellectual disability
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Self-love
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 25 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Virginia |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approach, fit, and how online sessions work
Dr. Shipman blends client-centered work with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to offer both listening and practical skills. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person’s viewpoint and building a trusting relationship, which helps when someone needs a nonjudgmental space to talk. CBT looks at thought patterns and behaviors to find small changes that reduce anxiety, improve mood, and make daily routines easier.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. She will talk with clients about their goals and try different strategies until something feels helpful. Together they set priorities, try short exercises between sessions, and adjust the plan based on what works for the person.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video calls allow visual connection for deeper conversation, while phone sessions suit those with lower bandwidth or who prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging are useful for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or when someone needs a shorter way to touch base. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to maintain consistent support over time.
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Common questions
What issues does this therapist help with?
What is the therapeutic style and approach?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
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What steps are involved in beginning therapy?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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