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DA Portrait of Donna Altepeter

Donna Altepeter

Collaborative, skill-focused clinical social work

LCSW Wisconsin

Experience
12 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Donna

About Donna

Donna Altepeter is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in Wisconsin with 12 years of experience listed in this profile.

Background and approach

She approaches therapy as a collaborative process that centers the client's knowledge of their own life, combining client-centered principles with practical skills drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness practices.

Donna emphasizes partnership in exploration and growth, bringing a calm, teaching-oriented stance shaped by many years working with people facing grief, life transitions, anxiety, depression, and serious medical concerns. Her background includes experience with bereavement, caregiving and end-of-life issues, and challenges that touch relationships, parenting, and career.

Donna also addresses concerns such as compassion fatigue, addiction, attachment struggles, mood disorders, and coping after disasters or major losses. She frames therapy as a shared project in which learning, reflection, and skill-building work together to support better day-to-day functioning and a clearer sense of purpose.

Practicing from Wisconsin, Donna offers a respectful, patient-centered environment where clients of diverse ages and backgrounds can explore change at their own pace. Her LCSW credential signals formal social work training and clinical licensure in the state where she practices.

Approaches and Online Options for Collaborative Change

Donna uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical strategies for managing anxiety, mood problems, and stress. CBT focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors to reduce distress and improve daily functioning.

She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy, which prioritizes the client's perspective and personal strengths through empathic listening and nonjudgmental support. This approach is helpful for building self-understanding, improving self-esteem, and navigating transitions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together; Donna treats therapeutic direction as a collaborative decision shaped by a client's goals, needs, and preferences. She will explore different techniques and tailor interventions so the process feels manageable and relevant.

Online sessions are offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for varying schedules and comfort levels. These formats can make it easier to fit therapy into daily life, maintain continuity during transitions, and choose the way of communicating that feels most helpful for each person.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Donna commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem issues, compassion fatigue, addictions, relationship and family challenges, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, sleep problems, parenting, anger, career transitions, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and client-centered, blending skill-building techniques with reflective exploration to help clients identify goals and practical steps forward.
What kind of clinical background does she have?
She brings many years of professional experience including work with life-threatening illness, bereavement, and teaching experience in social work that informs a teaching-and-learning approach to therapy.
What are her professional credentials and where does she practice?
She is an LCSW licensed in Wisconsin with license number WI LCSW 6641-123 and practices from that state.
Can clients who speak languages other than English work with her?
She provides services in English and is not accepting international clients at this time.
In which formats are sessions offered?
Sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How is cost handled for therapy with her?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are involved in getting started?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyGriefSelf esteemDepressionCompassion fatigue

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoaching

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disordersMulticultural concernsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

12+ years

Licensed

Wisconsin

Languages

English