About Alisa
Alisa Cates, LCPC offers a warm, person-centered approach to therapy. She focuses on listening first and understanding each person's experience before working on practical steps to feel better. Her style is direct but gentle, aimed at helping people reduce stress and manage emotions day to day.
Alisa has practiced in Illinois since 2013 and brings 13 years of experience in multiple settings. That includes community mental health, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programs, corrections, and independent practice.
Background and approach
She has supported people dealing with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, and major life transitions. In sessions she blends client-centered methods with structured techniques. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior.
Motivational Interviewing helps people clarify goals and find internal motivation to change. She also draws on Emotionally-Focused and Narrative ideas when exploring relationship patterns and personal stories. Practical problem solving is part of the work.
Alisa helps with parenting stress, anger, self-esteem, addiction concerns, and career planning. She also addresses more specific needs like postpartum mood concerns, seasonal affective disorder, ADHD-related struggles, and issues that come with aging. Her approach emphasizes building strong rapport first so sessions can move toward concrete change.
People who want straightforward conversation, clear strategies, and a collaborative plan often find this style useful.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and creating a supportive space. It helps people feel heard and builds the trust needed to tackle stress, relationship problems, and parenting concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety, depression, and impulse-driven actions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) looks at emotional patterns in relationships and helps people shift how they respond to strong feelings to improve connection and reduce conflict.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they will try methods that fit the client’s needs and adjust the plan as progress is made in sessions.
Online therapy offers flexibility and fits different schedules and needs. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and reading nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or when someone needs a quick check-in. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for shorter updates, ongoing encouragement, or when composing thoughts in writing is easier. These options help people keep consistent care around work, family, and life demands.
Questions people ask
What problems does she help with?
What is her general therapy style?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What qualifications and location are listed?
Which languages are supported and can she work internationally?
What formats are available for sessions?
How are sessions paid for?
How do I begin working with her?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English