Ilona Schwartzberg , LCSW

Ilona Schwartzberg is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with a long background in hospital and dialysis settings where she combined counseling with practical supports. She spent much of her career working in dialysis, helping people manage chronic illness, medical uncertainty, and the daily realities of life on treatment. Earlier roles in hospital units involved discharge planning and connecting patients to community resources, and in both settings she served as an advocate, mediator, and change agent while offering talk therapy alongside concrete assistance.

She specializes in supporting adults through older adulthood, addressing generalized anxiety, social anxiety, relationship concerns, life transitions and losses common in later life, grief and bereavement, and building self-esteem. She enjoys partnering with people who want to make real, sustainable changes and approaches therapy as a collaborative process aimed at practical progress.

Her clinical approach draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered and humanistic methods, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and mindfulness practices. She treats the whole person, recognizing that mental health symptoms matter and that lifestyle factors such as movement, breathing, and social connection play important roles in recovery and wellbeing. In sessions she explores practical coping skills and evidence-based strategies, and encourages healthy routines such as walking, swimming or water aerobics, yoga and stretching, breathing and mindfulness exercises, soothing music like ocean or rain sounds, attention to nutrition, and social engagement to support emotional healing and goal achievement.

Her style is warm, collaborative, and strength-based. She provides a nonjudgmental space where people can be heard, understood, and kindly challenged, acting as a partner and coach who helps build skills and celebrates progress. When someone is ready to begin, she acknowledges the importance of that step and offers ongoing support as they work toward their goals.