Alisa Cates, LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC, uses a practical, person-centered approach to help people manage stress, mood concerns, and relationship strain. She keeps sessions straightforward and focused on real-life problems so parents and adults can find clearer ways forward.

She has worked in Illinois since 2013 across community mental health, inpatient hospital settings, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and private practice. That variety means she has experience with issues such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, and major life transitions.

In the therapy room she listens first and asks questions that help uncover what gets in the way of change. Then she adapts tools to each person’s needs, drawing on cognitive behavioral ideas to shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also uses client-centered techniques to make people feel heard and emotionally-focused ideas when relationships and attachment are important.

Common topics she helps people with include parenting stress, anger, low self-esteem, addictions, career challenges, and coping with change. She also works with concerns like postpartum mood shifts, seasonal mood changes, ADHD, and issues tied to aging and midlife transitions.

Alisa emphasizes building a strong working relationship as the foundation for progress. Sessions aim to be collaborative and practical, with clear goals and steps people can try between meetings. She welcomes questions about how therapy might fit into daily life and routines.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

Alisa often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors; this works well for anxiety, depression, stress, and practical problem solving. She also draws on client-centered methods that focus on listening and building rapport so people feel understood when discussing parenting, grief, or relationship strain. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is used when attachment and relationship patterns are central, helping people name feelings and change how they respond to others.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to identify goals, try approaches that fit those goals, and adjust techniques based on how the work is going. This helps ensure sessions focus on what matters most to the individual client.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversations and visual cues, phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited, live chat or messaging can fit quick check-ins or brief coaching, and messaging is helpful for people who prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different life situations.