Alisa Cates , LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC, brings a thoughtful and person-centered perspective to therapy, believing that people want to be heard and respected for their individual differences. She has been licensed in the State of Illinois since 2013 and uses her clinical experience across community mental health agencies, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programming, corrections, and private practice to address a wide range of concerns. Alisa explains her LCPC credential as Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, reflecting her training and authorization to provide clinical care in Illinois.

Her practice focuses on issues such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, life transitions, relationship and family problems, self-esteem, anger and stress management, interpersonal conflict, and career planning. She has worked with diverse populations and draws on interventions that fit each person’s needs rather than applying a single method to every case. Alisa integrates a person-centered approach with techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical-Behavior Therapy to support change and practical coping skills.

Building strong rapport is central to her practice; she views the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for growth and meaningful change. Alisa aims to create a respectful environment where people can explore challenges and move forward in an ever-changing life.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Alisa draws on client-centered therapy, which emphasizes respect for each person's experience and creates space for individuals to guide the pace and focus of work; this approach is useful for building trust and exploring personal values and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, involves identifying patterns of thinking and behavior that contribute to distress and learning practical strategies to change them - it is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative method that helps people resolve mixed feelings about change and strengthen their own motivation, which can be especially helpful when addressing addictions, ambivalence about treatment, or behavior changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Alisa works collaboratively with clients and other licensed professionals to determine which methods best match a person’s goals, strengths, and preferences, adjusting the plan as needs evolve.

Online therapy offers flexibility in how people connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule consistent sessions, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access care from different settings while working toward meaningful change with a therapist.