Alisa Cates , LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), is a therapist licensed in the State of Illinois since 2013 and brings 13 years of clinical experience to her work. She has practiced across community mental health agencies, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programming, corrections, and private practice, gaining exposure to a wide array of clinical settings and presenting concerns.

Throughout her career she has treated depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, life transitions, relationship and family issues, self-esteem struggles, anger management, stress-related problems, interpersonal conflict, and career planning. Her approach emphasizes the importance of being heard and understood while honoring each person’s differences, and she views a strong therapeutic rapport as the foundation for meaningful growth and change.

Alisa practices from a person-centered framework and integrates several evidence-informed methods tailored to each client, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She aims to match interventions to the client’s goals and circumstances, helping individuals move forward through life’s changes with practical skills and sustained support.

Integrating Approaches for Effective Online Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating a respectful, nonjudgmental environment in which clients are invited to explore their thoughts and feelings at their own pace. This approach supports self-directed growth and is helpful for clients navigating life transitions, relationship concerns, and self-esteem issues.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical tools to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors, making it useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and mood-related problems. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on understanding and restructuring emotional responses within relationships, which can help with couples work, family dynamics, and attachment-related concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Licensed professionals, including Alisa Cates, work collaboratively with clients to determine which methods align best with the client's goals, needs, and preferences, and may blend techniques over time to achieve the best fit.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for scheduling and access from different locations. These options allow therapists and clients to maintain momentum between sessions, accommodate busy routines, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable while focusing on practical progress and emotional support.