Shani Ben-Dov

About Shani

You may be someone who looks like you have it all together on the outside while feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or exhausted underneath. Maybe your mind doesn’t shut off. You replay conversations, question yourself, anticipate what could go wrong, or find yourself repeating patterns you understand intellectually but still can’t seem to change. Therapy can be a place to slow those patterns down, understand what’s underneath them, and begin responding differently.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Certified in DBT (C-DBT), and a Doctoral Candidate pursuing my Doctor of Social Work (DSW), with a focus on leadership and advanced practice. I have experience working with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, emotional dysregulation, major life transitions, and the effects of chronic or high-stress environments. My clinical background includes crisis response, behavioral health, substance use and co-occurring disorders, and work alongside first responders. I also work with individuals experiencing compassion fatigue, burnout, and the emotional weight that can come from caring for others while struggling to make room for themselves.

My style is warm, collaborative, direct, and grounded in curiosity rather than judgment. I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches, but I don’t believe therapy should feel like something being done to you. We’ll work together to understand the thoughts, emotions, relationships, and patterns affecting your life while building practical skills that make sense for who you are and what you actually need.

I believe meaningful change often begins with understanding rather than judgment. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy, and you don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to change. Sometimes recognizing that something isn’t working anymore is enough of a place to begin.