Therapist profile
Dr. Keith Cates, LPC, LMHC
Licensed counselor - trauma and parenting focus
Continue with KeithAbout
- EMDR
- Mindfulness
- Solution focused
About Keith
Dr. Keith Cates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with 16 years of experience. He is based in Alabama and lists trauma, self esteem, career concerns, parenting, stress, anxiety, and depression among his main areas of work.
He works in straightforward language and focuses on practical steps people can use. Many clients come with trauma or post-traumatic stress and he brings approaches that address those kinds of experiences. He also helps people cope with compassion fatigue, first responder stress, and challenges tied to fatherhood and relationships.
His work includes attention to sexual subcultures such as BDSM and kink, and to non-traditional relationship styles like polyamory. He offers support around intimacy, loneliness, emptiness, and navigating major life changes. He lists LGBT concerns and issues that affect veterans and armed forces personnel among his focus areas.
Clinically he uses several methods including existential ideas, EMDR, mindfulness practices, and solution-focused techniques. In sessions he talks through immediate problems and also looks at meaning and direction when that matters. He adapts conversation and interventions to the situation at hand rather than following a fixed script.
People who choose him should expect direct, practical conversation about what is and isn’t working in daily life. To begin, a short questionnaire is used to match needs, and a first session is scheduled to set goals and plan next steps.
How sessions work
How therapeutic methods translate to online sessions
Existential Therapy looks at meaning, values, and direction. It helps when people feel stuck, empty, or unsure about life choices by focusing on what matters and practical decisions one can make.Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, addresses traumatic memories by using structured processing techniques to reduce their intensity. It is often used for post-traumatic stress and memory-related distress and is paired with preparation and stabilization work.
Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and the problems you bring, then suggest which approaches to try. That plan can change as you and the therapist learn what helps most.
Confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example shorter check-ins during a lunch break, phone sessions when video would be difficult, or scheduled evening appointments after work. Licensed professionals can adapt mindfulness or solution-focused exercises to these formats and bring EMDR-informed processing into a remote session when appropriate and agreed on.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Listed in
Alabama, Florida, Georgia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does he help with?
He works with trauma and post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, parenting stress, relationship and intimacy concerns, and career or motivation issues.
What is his therapeutic style like?
He uses direct, practical conversation and mixes meaning-focused work with short-term problem solving using approaches such as EMDR, mindfulness, and solution-focused techniques.
How much experience does he have?
He has 16 years of professional experience working with trauma, first responder issues, compassion fatigue, and related concerns.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He holds LPC and LMHC credentials and is based in Alabama with licensure noted in Alabama and Florida.
Does he offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. He does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to set goals and plan next steps.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.