Alison McCandless, LCSW, CSW

Alison McCandless is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who brings three years of experience working in community mental health. Originally from Southern California, she spent the past three years at a community mental health agency in Chicago before recently relocating to Denver, Colorado. She holds LCSW and CSW credentials - LCSW stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker and CSW denotes Clinical Social Worker - and is licensed to practice in both Illinois and Colorado.

Her practice has focused on serving low-income individuals with a broad range of mental health needs, including life stressors, mood and psychotic disorders, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Alison approaches each person as an individual with a story that matters, combining practical coping skills with a thoughtful exploration of personal history to help clients find meaning and change patterns that no longer serve them.

Clinically, Alison draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, psychodynamic methods, and a strengths-based orientation. She uses biopsychosocial assessment to understand functioning and symptom patterns, gathers relevant history to help clients make connections, and integrates skill-building and behavioral strategies to support real-world change. Alison offers nonjudgmental, hopeful support for people navigating stress, grief, relationship challenges, addiction, mood concerns, and other life transitions, and welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with those ready to begin therapy.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Alison integrates several evidence-informed approaches to support change and emotional well-being. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how past and present relationships shape emotional patterns and helps people develop more secure connections and healthier coping in relationships. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - or CBT - works with thoughts, emotions, and behaviors by identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and teaching practical skills to reduce anxiety, depression, and mood symptoms. Dialectical Behavior Therapy - DBT - emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, making it useful for intense emotions, self-harm risk, and relationship difficulties.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Alison works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, adapting methods over time so treatment feels like a good fit and supports meaningful progress.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility for busy lives. Sessions can take place by video call or phone for real-time conversation, or through live chat and text-based messaging for shorter check-ins and ongoing support. These options make it easier to access care from Colorado or other reachable locations and to fit therapy into work, family, and caregiving routines.