01 · Who Carissa works with

Carissa works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

Carissa lists 10 specialisms and 14 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Carissa chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Carissa's own words

What Carissa says about the work

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

I'm a licensed therapist in Wisconsin dedicated to supporting individuals through life's meaningful transitions and challenges. With extensive experience, I work with clients navigating stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and family conflicts. I'm particularly passionate about helping people cultivate self-love, improve communication, and find their sense of purpose.

My approach is grounded in compassion and genuine connection. I specialize in supporting women through unique life experiences-including pregnancy, childbirth, and body image concerns-as well as young adults facing workplace pressures, social anxiety, and isolation. I also work with clients processing guilt, shame, and forgiveness as they move toward healing.

I create a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where you can explore your authentic self and build the life you deserve. Whether you're working through family dynamics, relationship patterns, or personal growth, I'm here to support you with honesty, respect, and care. I believe in meeting you where you are and walking alongside you as you discover your strength and resilience.

Carissa Alt-Frankard, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Carissa works

The 5 approaches Carissa lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Carissa lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Carissa'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 Carissa 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.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

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.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Carissa 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 Carissa'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 Carissa at this point.

2. Naming Carissa specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Carissa 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 Carissa.

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 Carissa

Built from what Carissa actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Carissa's - Carissa 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

LPC

Licensed in

Wisconsin

Licence

WI LPC 5649-125

Licence number

5649-125

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1386022572

Years in practice

11

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

24 Jul 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Carissa'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 Oct 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 Carissa. 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.