Amanda Halawa-Mahdi, LCSW

Amanda Halawa-Mahdi is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois with 23 years of experience. She focuses on practical help for people dealing with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, family conflict, and caregiver strain. She also offers coaching support to build confidence and clarify goals.

She uses straightforward conversation and reflective listening to help people name their priorities. Amanda blends client-centered work with targeted tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also draws on motivational interviewing to support commitment to change and solution-focused ideas to set short-term goals.

Her background includes extensive work with teens and families involved in the juvenile justice system, where behavior change techniques were a regular part of the work. She is a Professional Coach trained through the Co-Active Training Institute and brings coaching skills to leadership and decision-making work.

Amanda pays attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion and works to identify and reduce bias in how problems are understood and addressed. She emphasizes clients' strengths and believes people know their story best. Sessions are collaborative, with practical steps people can try between meetings.

People who want direct, goal-oriented support alongside empathetic listening may find her style helpful. She practices in Illinois as an LCSW and conducts work in English. If you have caregiving responsibilities, she lists caregiver issues and stress among her focus areas and can help you talk through the strain and plan next steps.

Approaches that guide online care

Amanda uses client-centered therapy to create a space where people feel heard and where their goals drive the work. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting back what matters, and helping people find their own solutions.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy to identify and change thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. CBT is practical and problem-focused, which can help with anxiety, mood issues, and stress by teaching concrete skills to try between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and which methods seem most useful, then try things collaboratively. That conversation can shift over time as needs change.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people keep therapy going while managing caregiving responsibilities or workplace demands.