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CG Portrait of Carleen Gates

Carleen Gates

Compassionate, practical therapy for everyday struggles

LICSW Alabama

Experience
10 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Family, Grief
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages
English
Continue with Carleen

About Carleen

Carleen Gates is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and relationship and family struggles. She brings a compassionate, direct manner to sessions and emphasizes respect and dignity while supporting clients through difficult life transitions and emotional challenges.

Background and approach

Her approach blends practical, evidence-informed techniques with a warm, client-centered stance. Carleen draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and psychodynamic ideas to tailor work to each person's needs.

She addresses issues such as compassion fatigue, bipolar disorder, ADHD, forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, money and financial concerns, self-love, and women's issues. With a decade of experience in the mental health field and the LICSW credential, Carleen has provided individual and group therapy, school-based mental health support, in-home services, case management, and telehealth.

She speaks English and practices in Alabama, offering a candid yet encouraging therapeutic style that invites collaboration and practical steps toward more satisfying, empowered living.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Carleen integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into online work to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop concrete coping strategies, and to clarify values and take committed steps toward meaningful goals. CBT focuses on changing thinking and behavior patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and stress, while ACT emphasizes accepting difficult internal experiences and pursuing valued action.

She also draws on client-centered principles, offering an empathetic, nonjudgmental presence that supports collaboration about goals and techniques. Finding the best therapeutic approach is part of the process, and she will work together with clients to determine which combination of methods best fits their needs, values, and preferences.

Providing therapy through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging allows flexibility for busy schedules and varied comfort levels. These options make it possible to continue consistent work despite geographic or time constraints and let clients choose formats that feel most helpful for practicing skills, receiving feedback, and staying engaged in the therapeutic process.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns can be addressed in therapy?
Carleen works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, family problems, compassion fatigue, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and related issues like guilt, shame, forgiveness, and life purpose.
What is her therapeutic style and approach?
Her style is caring and client-centered while also being candid and direct; she uses approaches such as CBT, ACT, DBT, client-centered methods, and psychodynamic ideas to inform treatment.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 10 years of professional experience working in the mental health field across individual therapy, group work, school-based support, in-home services, case management, and telehealth.
What credentials and location are on record?
She holds the LICSW credential with license AL LICSW 4396C and practices in Alabama.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
She does not accept international clients and provides services within the stated regional practice area.
Which session formats are available?
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsGriefDepressionCompassion fatigue

Also works with

Bipolar disorderADHD

Additional focus areas

Family problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameLife purposeMoney and financial issuesSelf-loveWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Psychodynamic Therapy

Experience

10+ years

Licensed

Alabama

Languages

English