Alisa Neary, LCSW - Therapist in Illinois

About Alisa

Alisa Neary is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who offers direct, compassionate support for people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, parenting challenges, and life transitions. She writes and listens plainly, helping clients sort feelings, make safer choices, and take small steps toward change. Parents looking for practical guidance around parenting, grief, or relationship strain will find concrete tools and steady support.

Her approach centers on the person in front of her.

Background and approach

She draws on client-centered work to make sessions feel respectful and non-judgmental. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used when thoughts and behaviors get stuck and practical strategies are needed to shift them. Mindfulness techniques help calm the body and bring attention back to the present moment.

Alisa also uses motivational interviewing to help people clarify what they want and build motivation to move toward it. Narrative therapy is woven in to help clients separate themselves from painful stories and rewrite parts of their life that feel stuck. These methods are applied in straightforward ways that focus on daily life and parenting tasks.

She holds an Illinois LCSW license (IL LCSW 149017190) and offers services in English. Sessions are available through multiple online formats including video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging. To begin, a short matching questionnaire leads to scheduling based on availability and a subscription plan that can be canceled at any time.

How her therapeutic methods work online

Client-centered therapy focuses on treating the person with respect and curiosity, helping conversations feel safe and non-judgmental while identifying what matters most to the client. This approach is useful when someone needs steady support and a space to sort through feelings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It is often applied to anxiety, depression, and stress when clear strategies and homework feel helpful.

Mindfulness practices are used to bring attention back to the present moment and reduce reactivity in stressful situations. Brief exercises can be done between sessions and are easy to use during parenting or busy days.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work together with each person to try methods that fit their goals, needs, and comfort level and adjust the plan over time based on what helps most.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy family schedule. These formats let people access consistent support from home, practice skills in real life, and stay connected across changing routines.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help address?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting challenges, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, career stress, compassion fatigue, and related issues.

What style of therapy can I expect?

Sessions draw from client-centered therapy to keep the space respectful, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for practical skill building, and mindfulness to manage stress and regulation.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has nine years of professional experience as a licensed clinician working with adults on trauma, relationships, and related concerns.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in Illinois with license number IL LCSW 149017190.

Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

In what formats are sessions offered?

Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How is cost handled for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin working together?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 9 years
Licensed: Illinois
Languages: English

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