Alisa Neary, LCSW

Alisa Neary is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who focuses on helping people heal from trauma and regain control of their lives. She offers steady, empathetic support for those dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship pain, grief, and stress. Her practical style aims to reduce self-blame and build self-respect so people can move forward.

Alisa uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also draws on client-centered and narrative approaches that let people tell their story and make sense of what happened. Mindfulness techniques are woven in to support grounding and reduce anxiety in daily life.

Clients can expect short-term skills work alongside space for deeper healing. Sessions focus on specific goals such as managing symptoms of post-traumatic stress, improving self-esteem, or making safer choices in relationships. Motivational interviewing helps when someone is unsure about next steps or facing major life changes.

Alisa has almost a decade of clinical experience as an LCSW in Illinois. She works with adults who are coping with domestic violence, sexual assault, divorce and separation, compassion fatigue, and issues common to women and LGBTQ people. She emphasizes respect, patience, and collaboration while helping people reclaim agency.

Her approach is straightforward and warm. She helps people identify concrete steps, practice new skills, and build insight at a pace that feels manageable. If someone wants help sorting through trauma, relationships, or life transitions, she offers experienced guidance.

How Alisa's Methods Translate to Online Care

Alisa often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot patterns of thinking that increase anxiety or depression and then practice different responses. CBT can be useful for managing symptoms, changing unhelpful behaviors, and working toward specific goals. Client-centered therapy is another core element where the focus is on listening, validating each person's experience, and shaping the work around their priorities and pace.

Choosing a therapeutic approach is collaborative rather than fixed. She will talk with the client about goals, try different techniques, and adjust methods based on what helps most. Together they set short-term targets and review progress so the plan matches the person's needs and preferences.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video is helpful when visual cues and deeper conversation are needed, phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited, and chat or text can be useful for brief check-ins or when scheduling makes real-time conversation difficult. These options let people fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other busy routines while keeping consistent contact with a licensed professional.