Habeebah Salaam
LCSW, 4 years of experience
New to Grow
About me
Hello and welcome! I’m Habeebah Abdus-Salaam, a licensed therapist who blends evidence-based and relational approaches to help individuals and families build insight, emotional balance, and meaningful change. My style is warm, collaborative, and empowering that is grounded in curiosity and deep respect for each person’s unique story. I work with clients navigating anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, trauma, and life transitions, integrating DBT, CBT, narrative, and culturally responsive frameworks to promote self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience. My goal is to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can explore your story, reclaim your voice, and develop practical tools to manage life’s challenges with confidence and clarity.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, I focus on building trust and understanding your story. We’ll explore what brought you to therapy, identify your goals, and discuss what support looks like for you. Together, we’ll create a collaborative plan that feels safe, focused, and tailored to your needs.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths lie in my ability to create a safe, authentic, and culturally attuned space where clients feel seen and understood. I bring warmth, curiosity, and empathy into each session while maintaining a clear sense of structure and direction. I balance validation with gentle challenge, helping clients recognize patterns, build emotional insight, and strengthen their ability to respond rather than react to life’s stressors. My integrative approach allows me to meet clients where they are while guiding them toward meaningful and lasting growth.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My ideal client is motivated for growth, open to self-reflection, and ready to explore patterns that impact their emotions, relationships, or identity. They may struggle with anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or relational conflict but are committed to learning new ways of coping and communicating.
Specialties
Top specialties
Other specialties
I identify as
Serves ages
My treatment methods
Narrative
I use narrative therapy to help clients externalize problems and reclaim agency by rewriting their life stories. Through collaborative dialogue, we identify dominant narratives and develop alternative ones that reflect resilience and self-compassion. This approach empowers clients to separate identity from struggle and fosters a sense of authorship in their healing journey.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I integrate CBT to help clients identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns driving emotional distress. We use cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, and exposure strategies to replace distortions with balanced thinking. This evidence-based framework supports measurable progress and enhances coping, particularly for anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation challenges.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Culturally sensitive therapy guides my practice by honoring clients’ values, traditions, and lived experiences. I approach identity, race, faith, and generational context with openness and humility. By acknowledging systemic factors and personal narratives, clients feel respected, understood, and empowered to heal without compromising cultural authenticity or safety.
Couples Counseling
I help couples strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and navigate emotional disconnection. Drawing from Gottman and DBT-based interventions, we practice conflict management, validation, and repair attempts. I create a structured, non-judgmental environment where partners can express needs, increase empathy, and cultivate shared meaning and relational resilience.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT informs much of my work with clients experiencing emotional dysregulation. I teach the core skills mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness within a validating, skills-based framework. Using diary cards and coaching, clients learn to balance acceptance and change, fostering stability, self-awareness, and healthier relationships.