- Guilt and shame work
- Self esteem support
- Communication help
About Lavona
Lavona Cassimy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in New York with 17 years of experience. She helps people who are coping with stress and anxiety, family concerns, grief and loss, and struggles with self-esteem and motivation.
She focuses on practical conversation. Sessions are a place to talk through what feels heavy and confusing. She aims to reduce shame and guilt by naming difficult feelings and looking at how they show up in daily life.
In practice she works steadily and plainly. She listens for patterns that keep problems repeating. Then she and the client experiment with small changes in thinking or behavior to see what shifts. This can include building new ways to respond to stress or rebuilding confidence after loss.
Lavona pays attention to communication problems and body image concerns as part of broader life strain. She also supports people working on forgiveness, life purpose, self-love, and issues many women face. Post-traumatic stress and its aftereffects are included among the topics she addresses.
Her approach is conversational and goal-focused. People who come to her for help are often looking for clear steps and honest feedback. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session to plan next steps.
Approaches used and how online sessions work
Lavona uses evidence-based techniques focused on practical change and clearer thinking. One common strand is helping people identify unhelpful thought patterns and test new ways of thinking to reduce anxiety and self-criticism. This approach helps when guilt or shame keeps someone stuck and they want concrete alternatives to old reactions.Another frequent focus is behavioral change that supports daily functioning. That means breaking down goals into small steps - for example building short coping routines, improving communication habits, or practicing brief exposure to difficult feelings. These steps tend to fit people who want usable tools for stress, grief, or self-esteem work.
Choosing an approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with each client to find what fits their needs, goals, and preferences. That means checking how a method feels in practice and adjusting course together rather than promising a single technique up front.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, shorten commute time, and allow quick check-ins between appointments. It also lets people try a first session without rearranging an entire day, which many find helpful when starting to address guilt or shame.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
17+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, family matters, grief, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Additional focuses include body image, communication problems, forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, post-traumatic stress, self-love, and women's issues.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She helps by naming the emotion, looking at how it affects behavior, and trying small changes to reduce its hold. The work is conversational and aimed at practical next steps.
How much experience does she have?
She has 17 years of professional experience working with the concerns listed above.
What credential and location are listed?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and practices there.
Which languages does she use in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions billed?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to get started.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.