About John
John Shovels is a licensed master social worker who works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, anger, and relationship concerns. He brings 15 years of clinical experience to sessions and aims to help people build stronger coping skills and clearer goals. He offers a direct, practical style and sometimes uses humor and simple metaphors to make change feel doable.
In sessions he focuses on what the person needs right now.
How John works
That can mean learning new ways to manage mood and panic attacks, working on communication problems, or sorting out issues tied to grief, trauma, or life transitions. He also helps people facing career pressures, questions about intimacy, or struggles with self-esteem and motivation. His approach draws on methods that teach skills and target thinking patterns.
He uses techniques to reduce symptoms, strengthen emotional regulation, and set achievable steps forward. He also includes coaching-style conversations when people want help with goals or leadership development. Clients can expect a collaborative pace.
He listens for patterns that keep problems repeating and helps set small, practical steps to change them. Sessions often include clear strategies, brief skill practice, and homework that fits real life. John practices from Michigan and offers multiple ways to connect for ongoing work.
He aims to meet people where they are and help them move toward more stability and purpose.
John lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What John works with
The areas below are the ones John selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Anger management
Also listed
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LMSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 15 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Michigan |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that translate well to online work
John uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change thoughts and behaviors that feed anxiety and depression. CBT breaks problems into smaller parts and teaches practical skills you can use between sessions.He also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. DBT offers concrete tools for managing strong feelings, reducing impulsive reactions, and improving communication in high-stress moments.
Choosing an approach is a team effort. He discusses goals, tries methods that fit your needs, and adjusts as progress is tracked. That collaborative process helps decide whether CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, or solution-focused steps will be emphasized.
Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions happen. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skills practice and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be used when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit brief coaching, check-ins, or skill reminders into a busy day. These options help people keep steady momentum, even when schedules or locations change.
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Common questions
What concerns does he help with?
What is his therapeutic style?
How much experience does he have?
What are his credentials and where is he based?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
What session formats are available?
How does pricing work?
How do I begin working with him?
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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