Shama Joshi, LCSW

Shama Joshi is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and big life changes. She sees clients in Illinois and draws on nine years of clinical experience to offer steady, practical support.

She focuses on clear, doable steps rather than long lectures. Sessions often include skill practice, gentle reflection, and planning for what to try between meetings. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside other approaches to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different ways of coping.

Her work pays attention to how culture, identity, and life context shape feelings and choices. She aims to understand each person's story before suggesting tools, and she adapts strategies to fit real life demands like work, caregiving, or school.

Shama also supports people dealing with adoption and foster care questions, aging and caregiver stress, attachment concerns, neurodiversity, body image, codependency, and the strain of separation or divorce. She draws on a mix of approaches to match each person's goals and situation.

Clients can expect a collaborative tone in sessions. The focus is on building practical coping skills, improving communication, and increasing emotional resilience. Progress is tracked in small, measurable steps so people can notice change over time.

How these approaches can work online

Shama commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in online sessions. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult feelings and choose actions that match their values, which can be helpful during big life changes.

She approaches treatment collaboratively and will work with each person to decide which methods fit best. That process includes talking about goals, trying an approach for a few sessions, and adjusting based on what feels most helpful. Clients and the therapist decide together how to blend techniques and what to focus on next.

Online therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video sessions let people use visual cues and practice communication skills. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text allow for ongoing notes, brief skill coaching, and quick check-ins between longer appointments. These options help fit therapy into busy lives and different daily routines.