Profile / United States
Amanda Halawa-Mahdi, LCSW
Illinois
LCSW - Stress and anxiety support
See online therapy options- CBT informed
- Coaching skills
- Behavior change
About Amanda
Amanda Halawa-Mahdi is an Illinois licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of practice. She helps people who are stressed, anxious, or facing depression. She also supports those working on self-esteem, family concerns, and practical coaching goals.
Amanda uses clear, behavior-focused methods to notice patterns that keep problems going. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new responses. She also uses client-centered listening and solution-focused steps to set small, concrete goals.
Her background includes work with young people involved in the juvenile justice system where behavior change strategies were emphasized. That experience shaped a direct, problem-solving approach to complex behavior and motivation issues. She also completed professional coach training through the Co-Active Training Institute to support leadership and decision-making skills.
Amanda pays attention to issues around body image, caregiver stress, communication problems, guilt and shame, and workplace struggles. She brings knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion into sessions and works to recognize and reduce bias in how problems are understood.
Sessions tend to focus on practical steps - identifying one or two habits to change, experimenting with alternatives, and reviewing what worked. Amanda frames clients as the experts on their lives and offers feedback, tools, and coaching-style guidance to move goals forward.
How Amanda uses approaches online
Amanda typically draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT sessions focus on specific patterns, practical experiments, and short-term skills people can use between meetings.She also uses client-centered techniques that emphasize listening and understanding the person's own goals, and she applies Motivational Interviewing to support readiness for change. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone feels stuck or unsure about next steps by clarifying values and boosting commitment.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Amanda will discuss goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. That decision is collaborative and can be adjusted as sessions progress to match what helps most.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy week, reduce travel, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Amanda frames remote work around practical needs - quieter surroundings, less screen time when preferred, or focused coaching-style sessions that fit a lunch break.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
23+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, family concerns, and coaching needs. Additional focus areas include body image, caregiver stress, communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation, life purpose, and workplace issues.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is practical and goal-focused, using client-centered listening together with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and solution-focused steps. Sessions emphasize noticing habits and testing small changes.
How much experience does she have?
She has 23 years of professional experience in social work and related practice settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds the LCSW credential and is licensed in Illinois.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.