Abena Derkyi , LISW

Abena Derkyi is a licensed social worker practicing in Ohio with three years of professional experience. She holds the LISW credential, which stands for Licensed Independent Social Worker and indicates advanced clinical training to provide social work services. Abena has worked with people coping with trauma and abuse, grief and loss, anger and motivation challenges, low self-esteem and confidence issues, ADHD, depression, relationship and family concerns, parenting struggles, and other life changes.

Her work also addresses areas such as adoption and foster care, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, guilt and shame, impulsivity, pregnancy and childbirth related concerns, self-harm, and the development of self-love. Abena uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help clients build coping skills, process difficult experiences, and strengthen resilience. She emphasizes a strengths-focused, collaborative approach that honors each person as the expert of their own story and seeks to reinforce existing resources while introducing practical strategies.

Beginning therapy can take courage, and Abena aims to offer steady support and partnership as individuals pursue a more fulfilling and balanced life. Her practice centers on helping clients navigate intense emotions, improve relationships, and move toward clearer goals at a pace that fits their needs.

Evidence-Based Approaches and Online Support

Abena uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on trauma processing and stabilization, helping clients safely work through painful memories while building skills to manage distress. These approaches support people coping with abuse, loss, and other traumatic experiences by creating a structured path toward recovery.

She also offers grief-focused support designed to help individuals navigate bereavement and life transitions, allowing space to honor loss while identifying practical steps for everyday functioning. In addition, Abena incorporates skills-based strategies that target emotion regulation, impulsivity, and self-esteem so clients can develop tools for managing anger, ADHD-related challenges, and relationship stress.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Abena partners with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, and together they tailor techniques that best fit the situation. This cooperative stance helps ensure therapy remains relevant and effective for the individual.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to access care from home, work, or elsewhere. These formats provide flexibility in scheduling, allow continued support through life changes, and enable consistent contact with licensed professionals and therapists in a way that fits each client’s routine.