Alisa Cates, LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC, offers a person-centered approach that helps people feel heard and understood. She aims to create a respectful space where clients can talk through what matters to them. Her focus includes stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and life transitions such as midlife crisis.

She brings 13 years of experience working in community mental health, inpatient settings, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and private practice. That range means she has supported people through grief, addiction concerns, mood disorders, and parenting challenges. Her work often addresses relationship strain, family issues, and career-related stress.

Alisa uses Client-Centered Therapy as the foundation of her sessions and combines other approaches to fit each person’s needs. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people recognize patterns of thought and behavior. Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused ideas are used to set manageable goals and build momentum.

Sessions focus on practical steps and realistic change. Conversations tend to be direct, respectful, and goal-oriented while still attending to feelings and connection. She emphasizes building a strong rapport because that relationship is what allows new choices to stick.

People who come for help usually want relief from overwhelming emotions, clearer decision-making, or better communication with loved ones. Alisa works from Illinois and provides services in English. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule based on availability.

How client-centered and CBT approaches work online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding. The therapist reflects what a person says and helps them feel respected, which can reduce shame and open the way to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors to find patterns that keep problems going, then builds small experiments and skills to shift those patterns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people understand and name strong emotions and how those feelings affect their relationships.

Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then try methods that fit those needs. If something isn’t working, the plan can change based on what the client finds helpful.

This biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow for shorter check-ins during a work break, or spare travel time. They also let people try approaches like CBT worksheets or emotion-focused conversations from wherever they are. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and goals to work over distance, and the focus remains on practical steps and building a strong therapeutic relationship.