Shani Ben-Dov, LCSW

I help adults navigate anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and the moments when life simply feels overwhelming.

Therapy should feel like a space where you can show up as yourself, without judgment and without feeling like you need to have everything figured out before you begin. I work with adults navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, major life transitions, stress, and those moments when life feels overwhelming, uncertain, or simply not the way you want it to feel.

My approach is warm, collaborative, and straightforward. I believe therapy works best when there is genuine human connection, room for humor when it fits, and a balance between feeling understood and actually working toward change. I draw from evidence-based approaches including CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, mindfulness, and solution-focused strategies, but I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Our work should reflect who you are, what you need, and what you want your life to look like.

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and Certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (C-DBT). I’m also a Doctoral Candidate pursuing my Doctor of Social Work (DSW), with a focus on leadership and advanced practice. My clinical background includes crisis intervention, behavioral health, substance use and co-occurring disorders, family work, and supporting people through complex and high-stress situations.

Those experiences have shaped a style that is compassionate without being passive. We can explore what’s underneath the patterns that keep showing up while also developing practical tools you can use outside of our sessions.

Whether you’re caught in cycles of overthinking, trying to make sense of difficult experiences, struggling in relationships, adjusting to a new chapter, or simply realizing something needs to change, you don’t need to know exactly where to begin. That’s something we can figure out together.

I provide virtual therapy to adults throughout Connecticut and am currently accepting new clients.