Alisa Cates, LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC offers a person-centered approach that emphasizes being heard and understood. She aims to create a nonjudgmental space where people can talk about stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, grief, and problems like jealousy without feeling dismissed.

Licensed in Illinois since 2013, Alisa brings 13 years of clinical experience across many care settings. Her background includes community mental health, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and independent practice. That variety informs how she tailors sessions to what each person needs.

Sessions focus on building strong rapport first. Alisa listens to what matters to the client and then uses approaches drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Emotionally-Focused ideas as appropriate. She adapts techniques to help with mood, coping with life changes, and practical concerns like career and parenting stresses.

People come for help with depression, anxiety, ADHD, addictions, anger, low self-esteem, and relationship or family problems. Additional areas she addresses include postpartum depression, midlife transitions, financial stress, and feelings of isolation or emptiness. Jealousy and communication problems are also noted focus areas.

Alisa encourages steady, collaborative work so clients can notice small changes over time. She invites prospective clients to share what they need and to decide together what approach fits best. The tone in sessions is straightforward, warm, and focused on helping people move forward.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Alisa often uses Client-Centered Therapy to prioritize the client's perspective and build trust. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting, and responding to what the person says so goals and next steps feel personally relevant.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which links thoughts, feelings, and actions. CBT provides clear steps and exercises to try between sessions, and it can be helpful for anxiety, mood concerns, and managing impulsive reactions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or has not helped before, then select or mix methods to fit each person's needs in a collaborative way.

The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt the methods above to work across different session styles, helping people address things like jealousy, parenting strain, or coping with life changes while arranging sessions that fit daily schedules.