About Abani
Abani Dhewajoo, LCSW, works with people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, trauma, anger, and big life changes. She speaks plainly and meets clients where they are. Her approach is calm and respectful, and she focuses on practical steps that can make daily life easier.
She draws on six years of therapy experience and a longer social work background in Illinois. Sessions begin with listening to the client’s story and identifying what matters most right now.
Background and approach
Then she and the client set small, achievable goals to reduce distress and build coping skills. Abani uses methods from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to teach concrete skills for managing emotions and changing unhelpful thinking. She also weaves in attachment-based and client-centered ideas to strengthen relationships and boost self-understanding.
Mindfulness techniques are used to help ground attention in the present moment. Her style is warm, interactive, and strength-focused. She treats people with respect and avoids stigmatizing labels.
Therapy plans are tailored to each person’s needs and circumstances rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Typical themes she helps with include low self-esteem, guilt and shame, communication problems, coping after trauma, and navigating pregnancy or parenting issues. She also supports people dealing with adoption or foster care questions and multicultural concerns.
Sessions are conducted in English and are offered through a mix of video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Abani uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors that keep anxiety and stress going. Sessions include practical exercises and real-life homework to test new ways of thinking. She also incorporates dialectical behavior therapy skills to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness for intense feelings and conflict.Finding the right mix of approaches is a team effort. She will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls work well for deeper conversations and visual cues. Phone sessions can fit into a lunch break or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging are useful for short check-ins, session follow-ups, or practicing skills between meetings. These options make it easier to keep momentum and fit therapy into a busy life.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Abani help with?
What is her therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Which languages are supported?
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What session formats are available?
How are costs and starting therapy handled?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
Also listed
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 6 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
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