Shobana Shanmugavelayutham , LCPC

Shobana Shanmugavelayutham is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Illinois with five years of clinical experience supporting people through challenging life moments. She works with individuals facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem, addictions, family and relationship concerns, anger, coping with life changes, and ADHD. Her additional work includes hospice and end-of-life counseling, immigration-related issues, and multicultural concerns.

Shobana centers her practice on the belief that each person is the expert of their own story and that existing strengths can be strengthened to navigate painful or confusing times. She creates a collaborative space that honors a client’s perspective while offering evidence-informed tools and therapeutic methods tailored to specific goals. Approaches she integrates include acceptance and commitment techniques, attachment-focused work, client-centered methods, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and emotion-focused interventions, chosen to match the needs of the individual.

Seeking change takes courage, and Shobana emphasizes empowerment and practical progress. Her work aims to help clients build resilience, clarify values, improve relationships, and develop coping skills so they can move toward a more fulfilling life on their own terms.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Shobana integrates acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help clients clarify what matters most to them and build practical actions that align with their values. ACT focuses on accepting difficult emotions while taking committed steps toward meaningful goals, which can be helpful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions.

She also draws on attachment-based therapy to explore how early and current relationship patterns influence emotional needs and interpersonal responses. This approach can support work around grief, family dynamics, trauma, and rebuilding trust in relationships.

Additionally, Shobana uses client-centered principles that prioritize the client’s experience, creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the therapist follows the client’s lead while offering empathy and validation.

Finding the right approach is part of the process, and Shobana collaborates with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts techniques over time so therapy stays relevant and responsive.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules or across distances. Working with licensed professionals in these formats can increase accessibility and help people maintain continuity of care while pursuing meaningful change.