About Leslie
Leslie Cates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana with ten years of experience helping people manage anxiety and related concerns. She takes a warm, down-to-earth approach so clients can feel heard from the first session. She focuses on practical steps that fit into daily life and on clearer thinking that eases distress.
Leslie works with people facing depression, stress, grief, addictions, low self-esteem, and relationship or family strain.
Background and approach
She has supported those affected by childhood trauma and abusive relationships and helps clients coping with life transitions, career stress, chronic health struggles, and compassion fatigue. Her practice includes attention to symptoms such as trouble sleeping, anger, and challenges tied to ADHD and bipolar mood patterns. Her style is client-centered and strengths-based.
Clients set the goals and she helps shape a plan that matches those aims. Sessions use straightforward conversation, skill-building, and real-world exercises to shift unhelpful thinking and behavior. Leslie draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people change their thinking and practice willingness around difficult feelings.
She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques and emotionally-focused ideas to teach emotion regulation and improve communication. Her counseling blends problem-solving with empathy. She aims to reduce stigma and build useful habits that last beyond sessions.
Those ready to make a change can expect practical tools and steady support as they work toward clearer thinking and healthier reactions.
Therapeutic approaches that translate well to online work
Leslie often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to ease symptoms like anxiety and depression. CBT sessions typically include practical exercises, homework, and clear strategies that clients can use between meetings.She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which teaches people to notice difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that match their values. ACT is useful for managing anxiety, stress, and life changes by building psychological flexibility rather than chasing quick fixes.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Leslie will work with each person to choose or combine methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. She adjusts the plan over time based on what helps most.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Video works well for in-depth conversations and skill training. Phone can be a simpler option when bandwidth is low or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging allow for ongoing reflection and brief support between longer sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy days while keeping focus on meaningful progress.
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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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