About Dona
Dona Abbinante is a licensed clinical social worker with 31 years of experience helping people through stress, anxiety, grief, and parenting challenges. She works with individuals facing trauma, abuse, and mood concerns, and offers steady support for those coping with loss or difficult life changes. Her approach starts by listening to each person’s story and noticing the strengths they already have.
Dona treats people as the experts on their lives and helps them build on what works.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings so progress feels tangible. Over three decades of practice have given her experience with a range of worries, including panic attacks, social anxiety, isolation, and issues that arise during divorce or separation. She also pays attention to women’s issues and longer-term mood disorders, bringing calm and clarity to complex situations.
Clients can expect straightforward conversation and strategies tailored to their situation. Dona uses approaches grounded in evidence to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. She supports parents who feel overwhelmed and people navigating grief and trauma without assuming there is a single right path.
Working with a licensed clinical social worker based in California means sessions reflect local norms and resources. Dona speaks English and offers multiple session formats to fit different needs, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging.
How evidence-based approaches work online
Dona uses evidence-based techniques that focus on practical change and emotional processing. One common approach helps people learn skills to manage anxiety and panic - teaching breathing, grounding, and step-by-step exposure to feared situations so daily life becomes easier. Another approach focuses on grief and trauma by helping people make sense of painful events and build routines that reduce distress and improve mood.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will review your goals, preferences, and the problems you bring, and then suggest methods that fit. This is a collaborative process where plans can be adjusted as progress is made.
Online therapy makes it easier to fit sessions into a busy life. Video calls let you have a face-to-face conversation from wherever you are. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be a good option for a quick check-in. Live chat or text messaging supports shorter, more frequent contact and works well for ongoing check-ins or when writing out thoughts helps more than speaking.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Experience
- 31 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English