Alisa Cates, LCPC

Alisa Cates, LCPC, offers a person-centered style of therapy that starts with listening. She focuses on creating a space where people feel heard and respected. Her approach aims to reduce isolation and make it easier to talk about hard things without fear of judgment.

She has been licensed in Illinois since 2013 and brings 13 years of experience across many settings. That background includes community mental health, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and private practice. Those roles exposed her to a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, and life transitions.

Alisa uses Client-Centered Therapy as a foundation and combines it with other methods when helpful. She integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Solution-Focused elements to match each person's needs. The work tends to focus on practical skills, clearer communication, and building hope for change.

She helps people address stress, anger, self-esteem, addictions, relationship and family issues, career questions, and coping with major life changes. Additional areas of focus include ADHD and aging and geriatric issues. Alisa also supports people dealing with postpartum concerns, seasonal shifts in mood, and midlife questions.

Her style is straightforward and collaborative. She aims to build a strong working relationship first, then tailor techniques to what the person wants to achieve. Prospective clients are invited to discuss their needs and see if her way of working feels like a good fit.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building a respectful relationship. Online sessions can preserve that shape by prioritizing the person's concerns, validating feelings, and shaping goals together. This approach helps when someone needs a steady, empathic space to talk through changes or loss.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical steps to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. In remote sessions this can mean setting small experiments between meetings, tracking mood and behavior, and practicing skills during check-ins. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

Finding the right method is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively to decide which approaches fit each person's goals and preferences. That may mean starting with a person-centered conversation and then adding CBT or motivational interviewing techniques as needed.

Confirm the exact online session formats before booking, since specific formats were not listed in the profile. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Some people find remote work helps them try practical exercises at home and then talk through how they went during the next meeting.