About
- Stress and anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Parenting issues
About Dona
Dona Abbinante is a California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 31 years of professional experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and parenting concerns, and she also addresses depression. Her background centers on practical help for everyday difficulties at home and in relationships.
She frames clients as the experts in their own stories and looks for strengths to build on. Sessions focus on clear steps people can use to manage overwhelming feelings and to handle parenting challenges. Conversations are direct and goal-oriented, aimed at making small changes that add up.
Her work includes helping people cope after loss and during separation. She supports those dealing with panic, mood shifts, social anxiety, and the aftermath of trauma. When parenting feels strained she helps parents sort priorities and find routines that reduce daily stress.
Across her practice she draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to address emotional pain and behavior patterns. She pays attention to what has worked for each person before, then adapts practical strategies to current problems. The focus is on things people can try between sessions so progress continues outside the appointment time.
Dona sees adults in California and conducts sessions in English. People who want to start are asked to complete an initial matching questionnaire and schedule a first session. Costs vary by location and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How sessions work
How evidence-based approaches are used in online sessions
Dona uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change. One common approach is structured skills work that teaches specific strategies for managing anxiety and panic, such as breathing, behavioral experiments, and brief exposure exercises. These techniques are helpful when worry or panic interrupts daily life.Another approach focuses on processing grief and trauma in measured steps, helping people make sense of painful events and reduce their emotional intensity over time. That work often combines narrative reflection with coping strategies to handle strong emotions when they arise.
Finding the right approach is part of the process and is decided together. The therapist will review your concerns, goals, and past experience and suggest which techniques to try first. That way you test methods that fit your needs and adjust as you go.
Practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions into a busy routine and making it easier to keep regular appointments. Please confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking. Online sessions can make it simpler to have a short check-in during a workday break or a longer appointment when time allows.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
31+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She helps adults with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting problems, and depression, plus related issues like panic and social anxiety.
How does she approach therapy?
She uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques and focuses on practical steps people can use between sessions to manage feelings and behavior.
How much experience does she have?
She has 31 years of professional experience working with adults on the listed concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a California Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and practices in California.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what do they cost?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.