- Person-centered focus
- Practical strategies
- Money and life issues
About Alisa
Alisa Cates, LCPC welcomes people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to turn. She draws on a person-centered approach that starts by listening. That first aim is to be heard and understood without judgment, so honest concerns can come into view and be worked through.
Alisa has been licensed in Illinois since 2013 and brings 13 years of clinical experience across settings. Her background includes community mental health, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and private practice. She has supported people with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, and major life transitions.
She helps people address relationship and family concerns, stress, anger, and self-esteem issues. She also works with concerns such as ADHD, addictions, postpartum challenges, and career questions. Money and financial issues are listed among her additional focus areas and are part of the practical life topics she can help talk through.
Alisa combines a person-centered stance with targeted methods drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. Sessions focus on what matters to each person and on practical steps they can try between meetings.
Her approach emphasizes building rapport first, then tailoring strategies to the client's goals. She invites people to bring real-life problems and explores change in clear, manageable steps.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on being heard and understood first. Online sessions using this stance allow the therapist to listen closely and follow each person's pace while helping them name what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions; online work can include practical exercises and brief skill practice between sessions to change unhelpful patterns.Finding the right approach is part of the process. She will collaborate with each person to decide which methods match their needs and goals. That decision is revisited over time so treatment stays relevant and useful.
The original biography does not specify which session formats are offered, so confirm the available formats before booking. Many people find online therapy helpful for fitting care into daily life, like scheduling sessions around work, reducing travel time, or doing short check-ins when time is tight. Online work can also make it easier to carry therapeutic tools into everyday routines and try techniques between meetings, while the therapist helps adapt methods to real situations.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, grief, and life transitions, as well as parenting, anger, self-esteem, addictions, relationship and family issues, career, and money and financial issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her base is a person-centered approach that emphasizes listening and building rapport, combined with practical methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing to support change.
What is her professional background?
She has 13 years of experience working in community mental health, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and private practice.
What credentials and region are associated with this clinician?
She is an LCPC licensed in Illinois and has practiced in multiple clinical settings within that state.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled for therapy with her?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.