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IS Portrait of Ilona Schwartzberg

Ilona Schwartzberg

Practical, compassionate therapy for life changes

LCSW Illinois

Experience
31 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Grief
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages
English
Continue with Ilona

About Ilona

Ilona Schwartzberg is a licensed clinical social worker with 31 years of experience who helps adults and older adults navigate anxiety, grief, relationship struggles, and life transitions.

Background and approach

She draws on a background in hospital and dialysis social work to combine practical problem solving with talk therapy, supporting clients facing chronic illness, medical uncertainty, and the daily challenges of treatment. Her work emphasizes building sustainable coping skills and strengthening self-esteem while attending to the whole person.

Sessions often explore evidence-based strategies alongside lifestyle supports such as movement, breathing exercises, mindfulness practices, soothing music, and attention to nutrition and social connection. Ilona uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside humanistic and mindfulness-informed methods to help clients identify patterns, develop new habits, and pursue meaningful goals.

She practices with a warm, collaborative, and strength-based manner that blends advocacy and coaching. Ilona aims to create a nonjudgmental space where clients are heard and gently challenged, and she partners with them to celebrate progress and maintain momentum toward long-term change.

Evidence-Informed Approaches for Online Care



Ilona frequently draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and to practice concrete strategies for managing anxiety and stress. She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to support values-based action and greater psychological flexibility when facing difficult thoughts or chronic life challenges.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She works with each person to explore what feels most useful given their goals, life circumstances, and preferences, and adjusts methods over time to find the best fit together.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and accessibility. These options make it possible to maintain consistent care alongside work, family, and medical appointments, and they allow clients to practice skills between sessions with ongoing therapist support.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
Ilona works with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, grief, self-esteem issues, and coping with life changes, with additional attention to aging and geriatric concerns, chronic pain or illness, dependent personality, life purpose, and cultivating self-love.
What is the therapeutic style and approach used in sessions?
Her style is warm, collaborative, and strength-based, blending talk therapy with practical supports and skills-building. She frequently uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with acceptance, mindfulness, and client-centered elements to tailor care to each person.
How much clinical experience does the therapist have?
She brings 31 years of clinical experience, including extensive work in hospital settings and long-term dialysis care where she supported patients through chronic illness and care transitions.
What credentials and location are listed for this clinician?
She is licensed as an LCSW in Illinois with license number IL LCSW 149028560 and practices from that state.
In which language are sessions offered and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available for online work?
Therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are fees and billing handled for sessions?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin therapy with this clinician?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGriefSelf esteemCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesChronic pain, illness, and disabilityDependent personalityLife purposeSelf-love

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness Therapy

Experience

31+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English