- Stress and anxiety
- Life purpose focus
- CBT and ACT methods
About Carleen
Carleen Gates is an AL Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with ten years of experience in mental health. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and family concerns. She also focuses on life purpose, money and financial issues, guilt and shame, forgiveness, self-love, and women's issues.
Carleen uses a straightforward, client-centered style. She listens and then offers direct feedback and practical steps. Sessions tend to combine talking, skill practice, and problem-solving so people can test different ways of managing stress and mood.
Her background includes work across individual and group settings. That practical experience shaped a hands-on approach to emotional and relational problems. She pays attention to communication patterns and to how daily routines affect mood and focus.
Carleen draws on several therapy methods to fit the situation. She uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy to examine thoughts and behaviors. She uses acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values and build committed action. She also integrates psychodynamic perspectives when past patterns help explain current difficulties.
People who come because they feel stuck or unsure about what matters often leave with clearer small steps to try. Carleen helps people weigh options, practice new responses, and notice what changes. If you want to explore purpose after a life change, she can help you sort priorities and practical next steps.
How her approaches shape online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small, consistent steps toward those values. It can help when someone feels directionless after a life change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on noticing thought patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety or depressive symptoms. It offers concrete tools for managing mood and day-to-day functioning. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and collaboration, giving clients space to set the pace and focus of their work.Finding the right approach is part of therapy. She will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That choice is collaborative and can change as progress or challenges emerge.
The practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions into a busy week and keeping appointments that would otherwise be hard to reach. Because the biography does not list specific formats, confirm which session types are offered before booking. Many people appreciate that online sessions can make it easier to have shorter check-ins, avoid travel time, or use quieter surroundings when they need to focus. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and client-centered work to online sessions so clients can practice skills and try new strategies between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Alabama
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and family problems, plus related topics like guilt, forgiveness, money issues, self-love, and women's issues.
How would she approach feeling stuck?
She uses a client-centered and direct style that combines talking, practical skills, and goal-focused steps to test what helps in daily life.
How much experience does she have?
She has ten years of experience working in the mental health field in individual and group settings and related roles.
What is her credential and where is she based?
She holds an AL LICSW and practices in Alabama.
Does she provide sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific session formats.
How are sessions paid for and how do I start?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.