Alisa Cates , LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC, offers a compassionate, person-centered approach to therapy for people facing stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and life transitions. She understands how holding difficult feelings inside can damage relationships and make change harder, and she prioritizes creating a space where people feel heard and respected for their individual differences.

She has been licensed in Illinois since 2013 and brings 13 years of clinical experience to her work. Her background includes roles in community mental health agencies, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programming, corrections, and private practice, allowing her to support clients with a broad range of concerns such as depression, mood disorders, self-esteem issues, anger management, stress, interpersonal conflict, and career planning. The credential LCPC stands for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, which indicates advanced training and state licensure to provide clinical counseling.

Alisa emphasizes building strong rapport as the foundation for growth and integrates evidence-informed methods tailored to each person. She practices from a person-centered stance and draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused techniques, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy when those approaches fit a client’s goals. Her practice is oriented toward helping people move forward through practical strategies and collaborative planning.

Approaches that guide online counseling

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, active listening, and respect for each person's unique experience. It helps people feel understood and supports exploration of values, identity, and relationships in a nonjudgmental way.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing practical skills to change them. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and problems with mood or coping.

Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented method that helps people find internal motivation for change and resolve ambivalence. It can be especially useful for issues like addiction, behavior change, and readiness for new life steps.

Finding the right approach is part of the work itself. Alisa works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting techniques as progress unfolds. Licensed professionals and therapists use this kind of flexibility to tailor care to each person.

Online therapy with options for video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging provides flexibility for busy schedules, limited mobility, or geographic constraints. These formats make it easier to maintain consistent appointments, access care from home, and integrate therapeutic work into everyday life while working with a licensed therapist.