About Donald
Donald Shawler is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 20 years of experience helping adults facing depression, anxiety, anger, and related concerns. He works directly with individuals to untangle what feels overwhelming and to build practical skills for everyday life. The tone is straightforward and respectful, aiming to make therapy feel understandable and manageable.
Shawler uses a person-centered approach that puts the client's goals first. That means listening closely and adapting sessions to what each person needs.
Background and approach
He also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and reframe unhelpful thinking patterns. For anger and impulse concerns, he teaches concrete anger management strategies that people can practice between sessions. When grief, addiction, or relationship problems show up, the focus is on steps that reduce distress and strengthen coping.
Mindfulness techniques are used to help with emotional regulation and grounding. Shawler also integrates emotionally focused and existential ideas when they fit a person's situation. These approaches support deeper exploration of values, attachment, and meaning in life.
The work aims to be practical while still allowing room for honest reflection. Sessions are conversational and goal-oriented. Shawler offers clear tools and homework when helpful, and adjusts pace to each person's comfort.
People who want a direct, experienced counselor who blends skills training with reflective listening often find this approach useful.
Approaches that work well online
Donald blends Client-Centered Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in online sessions. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and following the client's lead to clarify goals and feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy teaches concrete techniques to identify and reframe thoughts that contribute to anxiety, depression, or anger.Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. He will work together with each person to choose which techniques match their goals and comfort level, and adjust the plan as progress is made. That teamwork helps shape goals, set priorities, and pick exercises that fit daily life.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people use visual cues and longer conversations, phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and messaging works for ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different rhythms of life.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Anger management
Also listed
- Addictions
- Aging and geriatric issues
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English