Colleen Prendergast, LPC

Colleen Prendergast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Wisconsin who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions. She also supports clients facing relationship strain, addiction concerns, ADHD challenges, mood disorders, and burnout. Colleen aims to make therapy practical and approachable for people seeking change.

She uses a mix of approaches rather than one fixed method. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and client-centered work are common tools she draws on. Mindfulness and skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) may also be included when helpful.

Colleen emphasizes building a trusting relationship first. Sessions focus on clear goals, practical skills, and steps people can use between meetings. She pays attention to how emotions, thoughts, and daily habits interact and helps people try new ways of handling stress and difficult situations.

Her background spans 18 years in mental health work across a range of concerns such as trauma, grief, caregiver stress, career issues, and compulsive behaviors. She describes her style as warm, present, and creative, with a focus on each person's strengths and values.

People who work with Colleen can expect straightforward conversation, collaborative planning, and concrete tools to practice. The aim is to reduce overwhelm, increase coping capacity, and help people move toward goals that matter to them.

Practical approaches you can use online

Colleen commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in her online work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and practicing new behavior strategies to reduce anxiety, depression, and mood symptoms. ACT helps people clarify their values, accept difficult feelings, and take committed steps toward meaningful goals.

She also draws on client-centered principles that make sessions collaborative and focused on each person's experience. Finding the right approach is a joint process - the therapist will work with the client to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences and will adjust techniques as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and screen sharing for worksheets. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging are useful for quick reflections, skill reminders, or ongoing support between scheduled appointments. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people fit therapy into busy lives.