Carleen Gates

Carleen Gates is an Alabama LICSW with 10 years of experience in the mental health field. She works with people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, bipolar concerns, ADHD, and life purpose questions. Carleen also focuses on family problems, forgiveness, guilt and shame, money and financial issues, self-love, and women's issues. Sessions are conducted in English and international clients are not accepted.

Carleen uses a direct, client-centered approach. She is candid and straightforward in sessions while keeping respect and dignity at the center of her work. Expect practical conversation about patterns that get in the way and steps you can try between meetings.

Her background includes case management, group therapy, individual therapy, school-based services, telehealth, and in-home mental health work. That range means she often draws on tools from cognitive behavioral approaches, acceptance and commitment ideas, dialectical behavior strategies, and psychodynamic thinking. She emphasizes clear communication and problem solving rather than jargon.

People often come to her feeling stuck after a life change or unsure how to move forward. Carleen helps them name what matters, make small changes, and notice what shifts. She will discuss options and plan together based on what the person wants to work on.

If someone is ready to begin, the usual next step is to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session. Cost varies by location and services use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

Approaches to use in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and then choose actions that match their values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing practical behavior changes to reduce anxious or low moods. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person's own goals and perspective, with the therapist offering straightforward feedback and support to help clarify what matters.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust them as progress or needs change.

The therapist's biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions helpful because they fit more easily into daily schedules, can shorten travel time, and allow for quicker check-ins when life gets busy. Others prefer different rhythms of meeting; this will be discussed when arranging sessions so the plan fits the person's routine and goals.