Dr. Elizabeth Cates, LPC

Dr. Elizabeth Cates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who provides mental health services using innovative methods and evidence-based models. She offers care to individuals, professionals, couples, families, groups, and organizations, tailoring interventions to meet each client's needs across life stages and situations. Dr. Cates welcomes a wide range of family structures, including military families, homeschool families, blended families, adoptive and foster care families, and families with special needs, and she adapts her approach to the unique dynamics of each household.

Her practice emphasizes practical, research-informed strategies to address stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, and depression, and she integrates techniques that fit both adults and children when appropriate. Dr. Cates maintains professional engagement through memberships in the Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society International, Chi Sigma Iota - Chi Upsilon Chi Chapter, the American Counseling Association, and the Association for Play Therapy, reflecting a commitment to ongoing learning and to approaches that support developmental and relational work.

Across individual and group settings, Dr. Cates aims to create an environment where clients and families can explore goals, build skills, and develop resilience with guidance grounded in professional standards and evidence-based practice.

Therapeutic Techniques and Online Care

Dr. Elizabeth Cates draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques suited to both individuals and families. Play therapy informed methods use age-appropriate activities and interaction to help children express feelings and build coping skills, making it easier to address behavioral concerns, family transitions, and developmental needs. Family systems approaches focus on patterns of interaction within households, helping families improve communication, resolve conflict, and strengthen relationships through structured sessions that involve multiple family members. Skills-based strategies for stress and anxiety teach practical tools - such as breath regulation, grounding, and problem-solving - that clients can apply between sessions to manage symptoms and improve daily functioning.

Finding the right combination of techniques is part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Cates collaborates with each client to identify goals, assess what methods feel most useful, and adjust the plan as progress is made so that therapy aligns with the client or family's needs and preferences.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for scheduling and removing travel barriers. These modalities allow licensed professionals to deliver consistent, goal-oriented care across different environments, making it easier for clients to access support that fits their life and commitments.