- ACT
- CBT
- Client-centered
About Carleen
Carleen Gates is an AL LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with 10 years of experience in mental health care. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, and she lists concerns such as family problems, forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, money issues, self-love, and women’s issues.
She uses a client-centered approach and describes her style as candid and direct. Sessions involve straightforward conversation and practical guidance rather than abstract language. She aims to treat people with respect and dignity while addressing difficult feelings head-on.
Her background includes work across several service settings and modalities. This includes individual and group work, school-based support, in-home services, case management, and tele-health. That range gives her experience with varied life situations and everyday stressors.
In therapy she draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, psychodynamic ideas, and a client-centered stance. Those methods are used to help people notice painful thoughts, practice different behaviors, and make choices aligned with personal values.
Carleen presents herself as direct but thoughtful. Sessions typically focus on concrete problems such as communication patterns, coping with strong emotions, managing mood shifts, and addressing guilt or shame. She also helps people consider practical steps around money, parenting roles, or life-purpose questions.
Therapeutic approaches and online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts without getting stuck in them and choose actions that reflect their values. ACT can be useful for ongoing guilt, shame, and anxiety where behavior change matters more than changing every thought.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and practicing different responses. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress because it gives concrete skills to test and change unhelpful patterns.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide whether ACT, CBT, a client-centered stance, or elements of DBT and psychodynamic thinking fit the situation.
Confirm the current session options before booking to know which formats are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Therapists and licensed professionals often adapt exercises, worksheets, and behavioral practices for remote sessions so people can continue practical work between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Alabama
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, compassion fatigue, bipolar symptoms, ADHD, and related concerns such as family problems, guilt and shame, and money issues.
How would she approach guilt or shame?
She uses a client-centered style with direct conversation, drawing on ACT and CBT tools to help people notice painful thoughts and choose actions that matter to them.
What is her clinical background?
She has 10 years of experience in the mental health field and has provided individual and group therapy, school-based work, in-home services, case management, and tele-health.
What credential does she hold and where is she located?
She is an AL LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker based in Alabama.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.