01 · Who Alisa works with

Alisa works with stress, Anxiety, parenting issues and anger management

Alisa lists 14 specialisms and 18 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Alisa chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Alisa's own words

What Alisa says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello. Do you find yourself struggling with something you feel like no one else will understand, or perhaps there is no one you can confide in for fear of being judged? Keeping things bottled up creates interpersonal conflict, affects our relationships, and hinders the ability to change.  I believe that individuals want to be heard and understood, all the while respecting their unique differences.

My name is Alisa Cates, LCPC and I have been licensed in the State of Illinois since 2013.  I have worked in a variety of settings including community mental health agencies, inpatient hospitalization, intensive outpatient programming, corrections, and private practice treating a broad range of issues such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, grief, life transitions, relationship and family issues, self-esteem, anger management, stress management, interpersonal conflict, and career planning.

I would appreciate the opportunity to assist you as you move forward in this ever- changing life and believe that building a strong rapport with my clients is the fundamental aspect which promotes growth and change.  I practice from a person-centered approach and integrate treatment modalities most beneficial to each client including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Dialectical-Behavior Therapy. I look forward to meeting you and discussing what's on your mind!

Alisa Cates, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Nov 2026

03 · How Alisa works

The 6 approaches Alisa lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Alisa lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Alisa's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Alisa runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Also listed

• Systemic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Alisa practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Alisa's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Alisa at this point.

2. Naming Alisa specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Alisa is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Alisa.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

2 questions worth asking Alisa

Built from what Alisa actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Alisa's - Alisa has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCPC

Licensed in

Illinois

Licence

IL LCPC 180.012524

Licence number

180.012524

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1801238365

Years in practice

13

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Alisa's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Alisa. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.