About Shayan Salar, LCSW, LCADC
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensed in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Florida, and Texas, and a Licensed Clinical Alcohol
and Drug Counselor in New Jersey. With over 10 years in behavioral
health, I offer trauma-informed individual and group therapy via
secure telehealth, specializing in complex trauma, attachment,
substance use, co-occurring conditions, and identity development
for adults navigating high-functioning lives that feel stuck
underneath the surface.
"I believe that my foundational experiences in this field and overall commitment to specialized training has offered me a unique lens around what it actually means to be trauma-informed in practice – not just in theory."
Credentials and Licensure
I hold a B.A. in Psychology and a Master of Social Work from Kean
University, where my clinical foundation was built through
psychodynamic and integrative training. Over the past decade I've
worked across virtually every level of care - in-home services,
outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), inpatient, community mental
health, employee assistance programs, and school-based settings,
before focusing exclusively on specialized telehealth practice.
My LCSW is active and in good standing in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
Florida, and Texas. My LCADC is licensed in New Jersey, reflecting
a dedicated clinical focus on substance use, addiction recovery,
and co-occurring conditions. Both credentials are maintained through
ongoing supervision, consultation, and continuing professional
development.
In short, I bring breadth of setting experience and depth of
specialized focus that most private-practice therapists don't carry
into a telehealth context.
Specialized Training
Beyond foundational licensure, I've pursued advanced training in
approaches that work at a deeper level than standard talk therapy.
I'm currently a second-year student at Somatic Experiencing
International - a multi-year professional training in body-based
trauma resolution developed by Dr. Peter Levine. I've also completed
MAPS MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training (Fall 2021 Cohort), one
of the most rigorously studied emerging protocols in trauma
treatment.
My work extends to supporting clients through non-ordinary states
of consciousness, including preparation and integration for
ketamine-assisted therapy - both individually and in group settings,
across multiple stages of treatment. I approach all of this through
a trauma-informed, harm reduction, and culturally responsive lens,
with experience working with BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and culturally diverse
communities.
In short, my training goes significantly beyond what standard
licensure requires, because the clients I work with need more
than standard approaches.
Personal Philosophy
My path into trauma-informed therapy wasn't accidental. I’m driven by a desire to make sense of the human experience and live a purpose-driven life. My path has been shaped by my own journey—growing up in an immigrant family and navigating a range of life-altering experiences that deepened my curiosity about healing, identity, and meaning. In many ways, it’s no surprise that I found my way into this work. Early in my own process, I had the opportunity to work with Jeffrey Longhofer, PHD whose presence and approach deeply shaped my understanding of what therapy could be. Following his passing from cancer, his influence continues to live on in the way I show up for this work.
Outside of my work, I stay committed to practices that sustain and ground me, including travel, movement, learning, and reflection. I believe in giving myself permission to live authentically and on my own terms, while striving to embody the same values of autonomy, presence, and integrity within the therapeutic space.
This translates into a style of therapy that is collaborative, grounded, and human, where you’re not reduced to a diagnosis, and where all parts of you are welcomed into the room.
In short, I practice from the same values I ask clients to move toward - presence, authenticity, and the willingness to work with what's actually there rather than what's supposed to be there.
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