About Leslie
Leslie Cates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, and ADHD. She writes short-term and long-term goals with each person and focuses on practical steps that fit everyday life. Her tone is warm and direct, aiming to make therapy feel accessible and respectful.
She takes a client-centered approach that lets each person set the direction. Leslie uses a strengths-based view and focuses on solutions individuals can try between sessions.
Background and approach
She leans on methods that help change unhelpful thoughts and build new coping skills. Leslie earned a Master of Arts in Counseling in December 2016 in New Orleans and brings about 10 years of clinical experience. Over that time she has worked with people navigating trauma, abusive relationships, PTSD, and the long-term effects of childhood wounds.
She has supported people through life transitions, career stress, and caregiver strain. In sessions she blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and borrows tools from Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy when needed. That mix helps people shift perspective, practice acceptance, and learn skills to manage strong emotions.
Her style is interactive and compassionate. Leslie avoids stigmatizing labels and focuses on practical, realistic steps that match each person’s goals. She encourages small, steady changes that lead to better daily functioning and greater emotional balance.
Therapy approaches and how they work online
Leslie often draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice their thoughts and commit to actions that reflect their values, which can be useful for stress, anxiety, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking patterns and building skills to manage mood and behavior, which helps with depression, anxiety, and addictive behaviors.Finding the right approach is a team effort. Leslie discusses goals and preferences with each person and tailors methods to match what feels most useful. She will try different tools collaboratively and adjust the plan based on how someone responds and what they want to achieve.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls let you work face to face when that helps, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or live chat can work for shorter check-ins or when typing feels more comfortable. These options let people fit therapy into work breaks, caregiving schedules, or when travel is difficult, while keeping the focus on practical skills and progress.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Louisiana
- Languages
- English
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