01 · Who Shani works with

Shani works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and trauma and abuse

Shani lists 5 specialisms and 29 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Shani chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Shani's own words

What Shani says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

You may be someone who looks like you have it all together on the outside while feeling overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected, or exhausted underneath. Maybe your mind doesn't shut off. You replay conversations, question yourself, anticipate what could go wrong, or find yourself repeating patterns you understand intellectually but still can't seem to change. Therapy can be a place to slow those patterns down, understand what's underneath them, and begin responding differently.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Certified in DBT (C-DBT), and a Doctoral Candidate pursuing my Doctor of Social Work (DSW), with a focus on leadership and advanced practice. I have experience working with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, emotional dysregulation, major life transitions, and the effects of chronic or high-stress environments. My clinical background includes crisis response, behavioral health, substance use and co-occurring disorders, and work alongside first responders. I also work with individuals experiencing compassion fatigue, burnout, and the emotional weight that can come from caring for others while struggling to make room for themselves.

My style is warm, collaborative, direct, and grounded in curiosity rather than judgment. I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches, but I don't believe therapy should feel like something being done to you. We'll work together to understand the thoughts, emotions, relationships, and patterns affecting your life while building practical skills that make sense for who you are and what you actually need.

I believe meaningful change often begins with understanding rather than judgment. You don't need to have everything figured out before starting therapy, and you don't need to arrive knowing exactly what you want to change. Sometimes recognizing that something isn't working anymore is enough of a place to begin.

Shani Ben-Dov, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Shani practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Shani's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Shani at this point.

2. Naming Shani specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Shani is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Shani.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

04 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Shani

Built from what Shani actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Shani's - Shani has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

• “You offer sessions in English and Hebrew. Does the work change depending on which we use?”

  People often reach different material in a first language than in a second. Worth naming before you choose.

05 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Connecticut

Licence

CT LCSW 16868

Licence number

16868

Licence expires

30 Nov 2026

NPI

1629929328

Years in practice

3

Gender

Female

Languages

English, Hebrew

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

25 Sep 2026

06 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Shani's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Shani. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.