Donna Altepeter , LCSW

Donna Altepeter is an LCSW - a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - practicing in Wisconsin with 12 years of professional experience. She emphasizes a client-centered framework, meeting each person where they are and building on their strengths, while integrating practical methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to address current concerns. Her practice spans stress, anxiety, grief, depression, self-esteem struggles, compassion fatigue, addictions, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related concerns, sleep difficulties, parenting challenges, anger, and career or life transition work, along with additional focuses such as aging and caregiver stress, attachment concerns, and end-of-life and hospice-related counseling.

Donna approaches therapy as a collaborative learning process, valuing the lived expertise clients bring to sessions and combining that insight with evidence-based tools to support change. She aims to help clients clarify goals, develop coping skills, and explore meaningful shifts in thought and behavior. With a calm, respectful style, Donna supports people through difficult transitions and longstanding patterns, working at a pace set by the client and adapting techniques to fit individual needs and preferences.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Donna uses a client-centered approach that prioritizes the individual experience, creating space for clients to guide the focus of sessions while the therapist offers support and reflective feedback. This approach helps with life transitions, relationship concerns, and finding personal direction when coping with stress or loss.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is practical and goal-oriented, often helping people manage anxiety, depression, and repetitive patterns that interfere with daily life.

Mindfulness therapy offers techniques to increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity to difficult thoughts and feelings. These practices can be helpful for stress management, emotional regulation, and improving sleep and focus.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Donna collaborates with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts methods over time so the work feels relevant and achievable.

Online therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging provides flexibility for busy schedules, reduces travel time, and makes it easier to access care from different locations. These options allow therapists and clients to maintain consistency and adapt how sessions are conducted to fit life demands.