About Dona
Dona Abbinante is a licensed clinical social worker with 31 years of experience in California. She focuses on helping people manage stress and anxiety and supports those coping with trauma, grief, depression, and parenting challenges. Her style centers on listening and building on each person's strengths to face hard moments.
Dona sees clients as the experts on their own lives. She uses practical conversation to identify what is getting in the way.
Background and approach
Then she helps people try small, doable changes that can make daily life feel more manageable. She has worked with people dealing with panic attacks, social anxiety, and mood struggles. Dona also addresses issues tied to divorce and separation, isolation and loneliness, and women's concerns.
Her long experience informs a steady, patient approach. When grief or loss is part of the picture, Dona focuses on coping strategies and gradual recovery. For trauma and abuse, she offers careful support aimed at safety and pacing what feels manageable.
For parenting stress, she helps parents find practical ways to reduce overwhelm. Sessions are conversational and goal-focused. Dona aims to help clients notice progress and build on small wins.
She encourages collaboration so each person leaves with concrete steps they can try between meetings.
How Dona’s approaches translate to online care
Many therapists who focus on anxiety and related concerns use evidence-based techniques that teach practical skills. One approach emphasizes learning coping and relaxation strategies to reduce panic and anxious symptoms; it helps people notice triggers and try manageable breathing or grounding exercises. Another common method focuses on processing difficult experiences slowly and safely, which can be helpful for those with trauma or loss who need steady pacing and support.Deciding which approach fits best is a collaborative process. The therapist will ask about goals, preferences, and day-to-day challenges and then recommend techniques to try. Clients and the therapist check in regularly and adjust the plan based on what helps most.
Online therapy offers several practical benefits. Video calls let people use visual cues and keep a near face-to-face rhythm. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, ongoing reflection between sessions, and flexibility for busy schedules. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care while fitting therapy into everyday life.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
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Also listed
- Experience
- 31 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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