Dona Abbinante, LCSW

Licensed in California · 31 years in practice

Dona Abbinante uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people cope with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, parenting struggles, and depression.

License and registration

LCSW, California: 22264 · expires January 2028
NPI: 1366691966 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 31
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Dona

Dona Abbinante uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people cope with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, parenting struggles, and depression. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, which she has held while practicing in California for over three decades. Dona writes plainly and listens closely to what matters to each person who reaches out.

She treats each person as the expert on their own life and builds treatment around existing strengths.

Background and approach

Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings. Dona aims to make therapy a manageable part of a busy life, breaking problems into small, workable pieces. Her experience includes long-term work with trauma, abuse, and grief.

She also helps people facing panic, mood changes, social anxiety, isolation, or the fallout of divorce and separation. Parenting concerns and women's issues are additional areas she addresses in conversation and planning. Dona draws on approaches that are evidence-based and adaptable to each situation.

She emphasizes clear goals, steady progress, and checking in about what is or isn’t helpful. Many clients find the process easier when it feels collaborative and down to earth. For those new to therapy, she offers straightforward guidance on getting started and on what to expect from sessions.

Her work is aimed at helping people regain more calm, clearer thinking, and better ways to handle everyday demands.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Dona lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Online support

Evidence-based approaches for online care

Many of her sessions use evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical skills and problem-solving. One common approach teaches concrete coping skills for anxiety and panic - breathing, grounding, and short behavioral changes you can practice between sessions to reduce intense symptoms. Another approach focuses on trauma and post-traumatic stress by helping people process difficult memories in small, paced steps and build safety and regulation strategies for daily life.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work together with each person to identify goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what feels helpful. This makes it easier to find approaches that fit your needs and preferences rather than prescribing a single method from the start.

Online sessions are offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video calls let you see visual cues and do longer therapeutic work. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or camera use is a concern. Live chat or text sessions make brief check-ins and skill practice possible between longer appointments. These options help people fit therapy into busy schedules and keep continuity of care across distances.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of problems does she help with?

Dona helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, and depression. She also works on issues like divorce and separation, isolation, panic, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, and women's issues.

What is her therapeutic style?

Her style uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques with a practical, down-to-earth approach. Sessions focus on clear goals, skills you can try between meetings, and collaboration on what works best.

How much experience does she have?

She has 31 years of professional experience working in clinical settings. That background includes long-term work with trauma, grief, mood concerns, and parenting challenges.

Where is she licensed and based?

She is licensed as an LCSW in California and practices with that credential in mind. Her work is based in the state of California.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the US work with her?

She is not currently accepting international clients.

What session formats does she offer?

Sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.

How are costs and getting started handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to availability.

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