Shobana Shanmugavelayutham, LCPC

Shobana Shanmugavelayutham is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) practicing in Illinois. She brings five years of experience working with people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward. She frames clients as the experts on their own lives and emphasizes practical steps toward change.

Her work focuses on common struggles such as stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. She also helps with trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and challenges related to addiction and anger. ADHD, family concerns, and major life transitions are part of her practice as well.

Shobana blends approaches that include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) alongside attachment-based and client-centered ideas. Sessions tend to be collaborative and goal-focused, with attention to what helps a person feel steadier day to day. She aims to build on each person’s strengths and values while introducing skills they can use between sessions.

She also brings attention to multicultural issues, immigration-related stress, and end-of-life or hospice concerns. That experience shapes how she listens and responds to each person’s background and circumstances.

People who prefer clear steps, practical tools, and a respectful, listening approach often find her style helpful. She encourages small experiments and gradual change so progress feels doable and realistic.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Shobana often uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and teaches practical tools to change unhelpful patterns. CBT can help with anxiety, depression, stress, and everyday coping skills. Acceptance and commitment therapy is another approach she uses; ACT focuses on clarifying values, accepting difficult feelings, and taking action toward a meaningful life. That method can help when avoidance or worry gets in the way of what matters most.

She approaches therapy as a collaborative process. Together the therapist and client determine which methods fit best for current goals and preferences. That means trying an approach for a few sessions and adjusting based on what helps most in real life.

Online formats available include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people use visual cues and work through skills in real time. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or when a person prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and texting offer brief check-ins, ongoing support, or shorter sessions that fit around work or caregiving schedules. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while matching different daily needs.