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LCSW

Shama Joshi, LCSW

  • Experience9 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Depression
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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About Shama

Shama Joshi is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois who focuses on helping people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, ADHD, and major life transitions. She frames therapy around each person's distinct history and cultural context, aiming to increase self-understanding and practical coping skills.

Background and approach

Her work often addresses interpersonal dynamics, communication hurdles, and the emotional fallout of change. Drawing on nearly a decade of clinical experience, she combines empathic listening with evidence-based methods to support growth and resilience.

Shama emphasizes collaborative, client-centered care that helps clients identify limiting beliefs and try new ways of relating to themselves and others. She also attends to issues such as adoption and foster care, aging concerns, attachment differences, neurodiversity, caregiver stress, and the complexities that accompany divorce and blended families.

Sessions are designed to build concrete tools for daily life while exploring deeper patterns that shape choices and relationships. With a practical, culturally responsive stance, Shama guides clients toward improved communication, better stress management, and clearer goals for personal wellbeing.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care



Internal Family Systems (IFS) views the mind as composed of different parts that carry distinct feelings and beliefs; therapy helps clients get to know those parts, reduce internal conflict, and build self-leadership to address issues like anxiety, relationship tension, and patterns that arise during life changes.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) combines acceptance strategies with values-based action, teaching clients to make room for difficult thoughts while committing to behaviors that align with what matters most, which can be useful for stress, depression, and coping with transitions.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on understanding how early relational patterns influence current connections, helping clients shift how they relate to others and improve communication and emotional regulation.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as work progresses to ensure it feels helpful and practical.

Online therapy offers flexible access through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules and maintain continuity during life transitions. These remote options support consistent engagement and practical skill-building from wherever a client is located in Illinois, allowing licensed professionals to tailor session length and format to individual needs.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns can be addressed in sessions?
Shama works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, coping with life changes, and ADHD, along with many related areas such as adoption and foster care or caregiver stress.
What is Shama's general therapeutic style?
Her approach is collaborative and client-centered, blending empathic listening with practical, evidence-based techniques to help clients build coping skills and improve communication.
How much clinical experience does she bring?
She has nine years of experience working with diverse concerns and life transitions, applying both clinical insight and practical strategies.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in Illinois with the licence number IL LCSW 149019649 and practices with clients located in Illinois.
In what language are sessions offered and are international clients accepted?
Therapy is offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available for remote work?
Sessions can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.
How are fees and payment structured?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesDepressionCoping with life changesADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

9+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English