Sheila H. Chiffriller, PhD

Most people don’t work in telecommunications for 11 years while pursuing a PhD in psychology at night, but I’ve never been one to take the conventional path.

I was supporting my family and paying the bills during the day, then diving into my real passion after hours – understanding what makes people tick. That curiosity about human behavior started back in college when I witnessed something that changed my perspective forever: a girl on my dorm floor was being beaten by her boyfriend during his visits. I couldn’t wrap my head around how someone could claim to love another person while simultaneously hurting them. That question haunted me and became the foundation of my life’s work.

During my PhD program, I focused on trauma and interpersonal violence academically, but everything became real during my year-long internship in a violent, impoverished community. That experience showed me both the pervasiveness of violence in our culture and, more importantly, the incredible healing power of empathy.

That’s why I call this practice Counseling with Compassion. It’s not just a name – it’s my entire philosophy. I’m not here to fix you or change you. I’m here to understand you and help you understand yourself. There’s no judgment, no right or wrong – just what you’re feeling and needing, what you’ve tried, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what you might want to try differently.

My approach comes from a humanistic existential perspective, which means I believe you’re the expert on your own life. During difficult conversations, I stay completely present with my clients – feeling it with them so they know they’re not alone.

Therapy can be hard and it requires commitment, but it’s also the best gift you can give yourself. When you’re ready to be present with yourself and do the work between sessions, that’s when real change happens.

One of my favorite parts of this work is when someone says, “This situation came up and I heard your voice in my head saying…” 

That’s when I know they’ve internalized our work and started changing their approach to life.

Carl Rogers said, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change.” 

That wisdom guides everything I do here. My clients are 100% accepted without judgement – no exceptions.

Outside of sessions, I’m either spending quality time with my children, working out five mornings a week, or giving my own therapist a run for her money. (Yes, I practice what I preach!)

What I bring to this work that can’t be taught in graduate school is simple: I never give up on my clients.