Alison McCandless , LCSW, CSW

Alison McCandless is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who brings three years of community mental health experience to her practice. Originally from Southern California, she spent recent years working in a Chicago community mental health agency where she supported low-income adults coping with life stressors, mood and psychotic disorders, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Colorado and holds LCSW and CSW credentials; LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker and indicates advanced training in clinical social work.

Alison applies a range of therapeutic methods tailored to each person’s needs, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the psychodynamic model, and strengths-based techniques. She emphasizes building practical coping skills and behavioral tools while also taking time to explore a client’s history so patterns and meaning can emerge. Her assessments use a biopsychosocial framework to understand functioning and symptom patterns across biological, psychological, and social domains.

Alison approaches care with a nonjudgmental attitude and a hopeful outlook, valuing the importance of each person’s story. She focuses on practical strategies alongside deeper exploration to help people manage stress, trauma, mood difficulties, relationship concerns, and life transitions. She is not currently accepting new clients.

Therapeutic Approaches and How Online Therapy Works

Alison draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns - an approach often used for anxiety, depression, and stress management. She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to teach practical skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, which can be helpful for intense emotions, relationship challenges, and coping with crisis. In addition, Alison incorporates psychodynamic techniques to explore how past experiences and relationship patterns influence present feelings and behaviors, supporting deeper insight and meaning-making.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Alison works with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, then tailors strategies and interventions that fit the client’s circumstances. She blends skill-building and exploratory work so therapy can address immediate challenges while also attending to underlying patterns.

Online therapy with Alison is available through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and communication styles. These options make it easier to access licensed professionals from varied locations and allow therapy to fit into busy lives while maintaining continuity of care.