Alis Africano, MD, LCPC

Alis Africano, MD, LCPC, helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, or big life changes. She works with individuals facing relationship and family strain, trauma or abuse, mood concerns, and struggles with self-esteem or identity. Sessions are available in English and Spanish and can be done online through several formats.

Alis emphasizes that each person knows their own story. She listens for strengths and practical steps that fit a person's everyday life. Her style is straightforward and supportive, focusing on what someone can try between sessions to make progress.

She draws on several therapeutic approaches to shape treatment, including cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance and commitment ideas, and client-centered listening. That means she helps people notice unhelpful thoughts, clarify values, and build coping skills in ways that suit them.

With 15 years of experience practicing in Maryland, Alis has worked with a wide range of concerns such as parenting stress, grief, anger, ADHD, and multicultural or immigration-related issues. Her background includes helping people manage mood disorders and navigate family of origin problems.

Therapy sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. The process starts with a short matching questionnaire and then scheduling a time that fits the person's routine.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Alis uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and challenge thoughts that increase stress or worsen mood. CBT focuses on specific thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical strategies people can use between sessions to manage anxiety, depression, or mood swings.

She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify what matters most to them and take small steps toward those values. ACT encourages noticing difficult feelings while still making room for actions that align with personal goals.

Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work together. Alis will collaborate with each person to choose tools that match their goals, life demands, and comfort with different activities or homework. This collaborative process helps tailor sessions to what a person needs most.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for more in-depth conversations and exercises, phone sessions can fit a short break or lower bandwidth moments, live chat works for brief check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection and brief tools between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to try different formats as needs change.