About Carla
Carla Dumas helps people coping with stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, grief, parenting challenges, depression, trauma, sleep problems, anger, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. She frames the work around practical steps and steady support. Carla emphasizes a calm, respectful tone in sessions and focuses on clear goals that make daily life feel more manageable.
She brings 31 years of professional experience in Illinois and holds an IL LCPC credential. Carla believes people know their own stories best and looks to build on clients' strengths.
Background and approach
She asks questions that clarify what matters most and suggests small changes clients can try between sessions. Her approach blends client-centered listening with practical techniques. Carla uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try new responses.
She draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy to help people understand and shift emotional patterns that affect close relationships. For trauma and abuse she incorporates Trauma-Focused Therapy tools that prioritize safety and pacing. Solution-Focused methods help set short-term targets and track progress.
Together, these approaches create a flexible plan tailored to each person's needs. Carla works in straightforward language and keeps sessions focused on what will help day to day. She supports people making life transitions, facing mood or impulse challenges, and navigating cultural or discrimination-related stress.
Her style is collaborative, practical, and grounded in many years of work with adults.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and reflecting what the client says, helping people feel heard and understood so they can notice what they want to change. It is useful for building trust and clarifying personal goals online or by phone.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes. It is hands-on and often focuses on homework between sessions, which works well with text-based tools and video check-ins.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is about recognizing emotional patterns that shape close relationships and learning new ways to respond. It often involves naming emotions and practicing new interactions, which can be guided effectively over calls or video.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, needs, and preferences to choose methods that fit. Plans may combine approaches and evolve as progress is made.
Online therapy offers flexibility in how care happens. Video calls let the therapist and client use visual cues during deeper work. Phone sessions can fit a lunch break or low-bandwidth situation. Live chat or text-based messaging supports brief check-ins, skill practice, and tracking small steps between longer sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives while using the methods described above.
Questions people ask
What concerns does she help with?
What is her therapeutic style?
How much experience does she have?
What credential and location are listed?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
What session formats are available?
How are fees handled?
How do I begin working with her?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also listed
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Impulsivity
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Sleeping disorders
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 31 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English