Jeannette Abelson

(LCSW)

About Me

Welcome to Better Help! You've taken a huge step, and I'm sure you're wondering how this works and whether it's the right fit for you. I know I felt the same way when I first came to Better Help too.

My name is Jeannette Abelson, and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Virginia. I earned my Master of Social Work degree, specializing in Interpersonal Practice, from the University of Michigan in 1998. I've worked in many different settings with individuals and families who have a variety of personal issues such as depression/anxiety, stress, family problems, trauma/abuse, addictions of all kinds, relationships/parenting and more. Over the past 20 years as a clinician, my experience has taught me that the most important aspect of counseling by far is the connection and comfort you feel with the person you choose to share your personal struggles. I believe we can all grow through challenging experiences by increasing our self-awareness. Sometimes another person, one who isn't in our immediate circle, can offer a perspective or additional support, that give us movement on a difficult situation when we feel stuck. It would be my privilege to be that person for you. We all want to be able to share our personal truths and be accepted and understood. I believe it's very important to be open-minded and non-judgmental when someone shares their personal story or experiences with me. Our relationship with our self and others has worth and is useful to explore in counseling.

You are welcome to message me anytime through Better Help. The frequency with which you can have access to a counselor to work through day to day emotions and problem solving is extremely beneficial for most and a nice change from traditional outpatient counseling. I usually check messages twice each day, seven days per week. I offer messaging, live chat and phone sessions with limited availability in the evenings and weekends. Please note that what you see in my calendar may not reflect my only availability so you always want to check that out with me through messaging first.

I look forward to working with you!

Specialties

  • Stress, Anxiety
  • Addictions
  • LGBT
  • Grief
  • Depression

I also have experience in Relationship issues, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder

Years of Experience: 20

Services Offered


  • Messaging

  • Live Chat

  • Phone

Licensing

LCSW #0904005346 (Expires: 2020-06-01)

Reviews

Written by R.O. on Feb 05, 2020 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, and self esteem

Ms. Ableson is a very caring counselor, she never judges me for my faults, and only offers advice/insight that helps me better myself

Written by M.E. on Feb 02, 2020 after counseling with Jeannette for 7 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes

Jeannette does an incredible job she’s patient she’s thorough and she’s really helped me to be able to get a grasp on the things that are challenging me. She truly is dedicated to her work and I’m really lucky to have her on my team

Written by J.E. on Jan 02, 2020 after counseling with Jeannette for 8 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coaching, and adhd

Jeanette is amazing! Very supportive and knowledgeable.

Written by A.R. on Jan 01, 2020 after counseling with Jeannette for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, family conflicts, and trauma and abuse

I wrote a review about Jeanette earlier on when we first started meeting, but I think it is worth updating/reiterating that she remains a fabulous therapist. She's funny, supportive and really helpful. She's relatable and never makes me feel like a "case." One of my biggest fears is having a therapist who responds in extreme ways to my traumas or experiences, and Jeanette always responds with empathy without tokenizing me. She's qualified and talented and anyone who wants someone who truly feels human would love her!

Written by T.E. on Dec 09, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 8 months on issues concerning depression, and stress, anxiety

I absolutely could not make it if I didn't have Jeannette in my life. She is the only one who knows my secrets and she is able to help me look at things in a different way. She has patience with me and I'm not an easy person to deal with concerning what I do for a living. She's just a wonderful and warm person.

Written by R.Y. on Oct 16, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 1 month on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, parenting issues, self esteem, coping with life changes, and adhd

I really enjoyed working with Jeannette! She was compassionate, empathetic, and always responded promptly. I would highly recommend Jeannette as a counselor for anyone!

Written by I.N. on Sep 08, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 1 year and 9 months on issues concerning depression, and trauma and abuse

Jeannette is caring, compassionate and available. Having had a successful prior counseling experience with Jeanette through Better Help, reaching out to her at a difficult time was easy and safe. Thank you.

Written by S.A. on Aug 29, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue

Jeannette is very accommodating and easy to work with. She is good at honing in and interpreting your thought process and then providing sound, positive insight. I definitely recommend working with her.

Written by J.U. on Jun 25, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, and self esteem

She's really good. I'd recommend her to anyone on this site.

Written by K.E. on Jun 22, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 1 year on issues concerning relationship issues, trauma and abuse, and self esteem

Jeanette has been a great support through the up’s and down’s. I would recommend her highly! I’ve returned to BetterHelp multiple times because of her expertise and compassion.

Written by L.I. on Jun 02, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning addictions, and eating disorders

Jeannette Abelson is the absolute best therapist I have EVER worked with. She made a positive difference in my life the very day I started communicating with her. This is the first time that I have worked with someone who actually "gets it".

Written by C.E. on Apr 03, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 5 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and intimacy-related issues

Jeannette understands me and is very compassionate. She is an attentive listener and recommends different perspectives around my thoughts patterns. She personally understands what I am going through and brings me a lot of comfort and reassurance. I am grateful to have her in my life.

Written by S.H. on Mar 20, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, grief, and bipolar disorder

I am very pleased that I was matched with Jeannette. She communicated her thoughts very clearly and was able to help me sort through and make sense of mine. She responded very promptly as well. I hope to request her if and when I need further counseling.

Written by A.S. on Jan 22, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, grief, and eating disorders

I have only been working with Ms. Abelson for a short period of time; however, she has played a significant role in the quality of my life during a very difficult time. She provides me with a safe place to voice my thoughts and feelings and provides amazing perspective and feedback. I highly value her as a counselor and I am proud to say that she is a member of my support team.

Written by F.A. on Jan 20, 2019 after counseling with Jeannette for 7 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, anger management, and career difficulties

Jeanette is a really wonderful person and therapist. She provides profound insight into all kinds of situations and her guidance always helps me handle life, events, and people better. She seems incredibly intuitive and is really kind, gentle, and supportive.

I always felt calmer just talking to her because I didn’t feel she would judge me and make me feel terrible for feeling how I do as I felt everyone else around me made me feel that way already. Her responses are truly insightful and reassuring. It is a really nice feeling when someone understands you without having to explain every detail. I’m really grateful to have had her as a therapist and I know I would have been in a worse place had I not had her guidance.

I suppose it was my luck to have had been assigned her but I would definitely recommend to everyone on BetterHelp if you’re not feeling progress in your mental health and still struggle daily, please take counseling with Jeanette. You will feel the difference and improvements in your life and be reminded that things will be okay and tomorrow can always be better.

Written by J.A. on Nov 14, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 5 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, and career difficulties

Jeanette has helped guide me through one of my roughest paths in life. She helped provide a lot of clarity in a big ball of events and emotions; I am forever grateful. I feel like I'm getting on a better and better life path everyday - Jeanette has been instrumental in getting me on this path through kind, insightful words and validations.

Written by M.O. on Nov 12, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, eating disorders, and self esteem

Jeannette has been the person I was needing for a long time. I had a long laundry list to unload, and she was able to target the more crucial needs to help me work on first. I have been able to send lengthy messages in moments of distress, and receive validation, and action plans on how to move forward and "deal". I know therapy is a process and I have much to work on, but I trust that Jeannette will help me get there at the pace that is right for me. Thank you Jeannette!

Written by G.O. on Oct 07, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 5 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, parenting issues, self esteem, and anger management

Jeannette continues to be a tremendous help and support to me and my daughter, we do both individual counseling with her. I recommended her to help my daughter and she has been a Godsend at a difficult time for her. I would recommend Jeannette strongly as a counselor.

Written by F.R. on Jul 25, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship, family, intimacy-related, self esteem, and anger

Jeannette Abelson is an exceptional counselor. She's highly responsive, fully engages with my concerns, and very pleasant to talk to. She was my second match and I was so glad that I made this switch!

Written by K.I. on Jul 19, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship, intimacy-related, eating, self esteem, and career

Jeanette offers great insights and has really helped me in taking actionable steps towards feeling better.

Written by J.E. on Jun 24, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, grief, parenting, self esteem, anger, and bipolar

My counselor is very polite and understanding. Makes counseling very comfortable for me.

Written by T.R. on May 15, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship, family, intimacy-related, self esteem, anger, and career

I like how interactive Jeannette is. She challenges my perspective and I appreciate her honesty.

Written by D.C. on May 09, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning relationship

Jeanette is wonderful. She listens, gives input, and serves as a nice dose of reality when discussing my issues.

Written by K.R. on Mar 18, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family, trauma and abuse, self esteem, and career

Jeannette is always open-minded and provides a lot of different ideas and solutions. She has recommended many resources that have been valuable to me, and she is happy to check in when I don't message for a while. It's obvious she cares a lot about her clients!

Written by A.M. on Mar 14, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, eating, career, and bipolar

Jeannette is very understanding, responds promptly, and is wonderful to work with. I have been feeling a lot better since beginning to work with her.

Written by A.D. on Feb 13, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, family, trauma and abuse, eating, self esteem, and bipolar

I came to Jeannette with a myriad of issues and just plopped them all out for her to see. She immediately started me on a treatment plan of worksheets and evaluations and has been a great sounding board when I am feeling anxious or overwhelmed by something. She is responsive and helpful in helping me get my mental health back on track. I avoided counseling for so long because I have had poor experiences in the past and figured it would just turn out the same - but I was totally wrong. Working with Jeannette has been so great, I even got my fiance to sign up for BetterHelp!

Written by J.O. on Jan 25, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship, anger, career, and bipolar

Jeannette was very helpful in getting my wife and I to communicate better. She was easy to reach, had great tools and advice. Definitely recommend working with her!

Written by J.I. on Jan 24, 2018 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, addictions, relationship, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, and career

Very helpful!

Written by A.A. on Dec 26, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship, family, grief, intimacy-related, parenting, and anger

She is great- I feel a lot better since I've been speaking with her I'm grateful for her and this experience!

Written by A.L. on Dec 17, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, intimacy-related, and self esteem

Jeannette is a great counselor and much better than my previous counselor. She was attentive, kind and provided valuable feedback. Will definitely contact her again if I have another issue.

Written by E.U. on Nov 25, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning addictions, and eating

She is respectful, honest and also compassionate.

Written by M.I. on Sep 17, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 1 month on issues concerning relationship, and intimacy-related

Jeannette is a nonjudgmental counselor who is skilled in the art of listening. She listens to everything, even the weird stuff.

Written by A.N. on Sep 01, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 4 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship, trauma and abuse, and self esteem

Jeanette is amazing. She helped me out of the darkest period of my life. She is unbelievable.

Written by C.H. on Aug 29, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship, family, trauma and abuse, self esteem, and career

She is a fantastic counselor.

Written by R.Y. on Jul 27, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, lgbt, relationship, family, and self esteem

She is best therapist that I have ever had in my life!

Written by A.L. on Jul 22, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship, family, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related, self esteem, and anger

Jeannette was very helpful! She gave great advice and helped me calm down when needed.

Written by L.E. on Jun 23, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, family, trauma and abuse, grief, eating, sleeping, self esteem, anger, and career

Jeannette is great!

Written by D.A. on Jun 22, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 1 month on issues concerning depression, addictions, lgbt, relationship, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related, self esteem, and career

Jeannette is an extremely competent therapist. I have a lot of issues in my life - family, addiction, depression, anxiety, self-hate, and she's been able to guide me through it all gracefully and in an understanding way. Highly recommended.

Written by F.R. on Jun 20, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting, and anger

She was really responsive and good insights with good concrete strategies. I would absolutely recommend!!

Written by T.O. on Jun 09, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship, family, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related, eating, parenting, self esteem, and anger

Jeannette has been very helpful as I navigate a divorce and deal with some old shameful thoughts. Highly recommend.

Written by J.U. on Jun 06, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 2 months

Excellent and always available!

Written by M.U. on May 24, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks

Jeannette really knows how to listen and empathize.

Written by K.E. on May 09, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, and anger

Jeanette has been very helpful in supporting me work through various challenges I'm facing. She has been very patient and encouraging and I would definitely recommend her!

Written by L.E. on Apr 26, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning anger

She is very calming, responds quickly with reasoned, thoughtful responses.

Written by K.A. on Apr 17, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and relationship

Jeannette is really good at helping me frame my thoughts when I struggle to make sense of them. I really appreciated the suggestions she made when I felt that I couldn't turn to those in my personal life for support, as well as the thought exercises and questions she gave me to help me sort through a really difficult situation!

Written by S.E. on Apr 05, 2017 after counseling with Jeannette for 3 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship, self esteem, career, and bipolar

She's really great! I feel as if she really cares and wants to know what is going on in life. She is always there and responds in a timely manner!