Carleen Gates, LICSW

Carleen Gates is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) who brings more than a decade of experience in the mental health field. She has supported clients through a variety of settings, including individual and group therapy, school-based counseling, telehealth, case management, and in-home mental health services. Her breadth of experience means she has worked with people facing trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, difficult relationships, family dynamic challenges, communication problems, and emotional abuse.

Her approach to counseling is warm, client-centered, and encouraging while also direct and candid when needed. She emphasizes compassion and thoughtful attention to each person’s needs, and she prioritizes treating everyone with respect and dignity. Carleen balances empathy with practical clarity, helping clients identify steps toward change while honoring their pace and values.

Recognizing that seeking help takes courage, she affirms and supports clients at the start of their work together and throughout the process of change. Carleen welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with individuals and families as they pursue greater self-empowerment, improved relationships, and more satisfying daily life. She looks forward to partnering with clients to take meaningful next steps toward their goals.

Approaches That Inform Online Care

Carleen uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients clarify their values and take committed steps toward a meaningful life while learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than getting stuck in them. This approach can be useful for anxiety, stress, and questions about life purpose.

She also incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a practical, skills-based method that helps people identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop strategies to change behaviors and mood. CBT is often helpful for depression, anxiety, and problem-solving in daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Carleen works collaboratively with each client to determine what methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. She draws on different techniques as appropriate and adjusts the plan in partnership with the client.

Online therapy with Carleen can take place by video call, phone session, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for varying schedules and needs. These options make it easier to access consistent support from licensed professionals and therapists without rearranging major parts of daily life, and they allow the therapeutic work to continue in a format that fits the client.