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Leslie Cates

Therapist profile

Leslie Cates, LPC

Louisiana

LPC in Louisiana - Stress and family concerns

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About

  • ACT
  • CBT
  • Trauma support

About Leslie

Leslie Cates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana with 10 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, sleep problems, anger, ADHD, and related issues.

Leslie earned a Master of Arts in Counseling in December 2016 in New Orleans. She has supported people coping with the effects of childhood trauma and abusive relationships, and those navigating major life changes. She also helps with caregiver stress, chronic illness, codependency, and substance concerns.

Her style is interactive and client-centered. Clients set goals and direct the focus of sessions. Leslie draws from multiple practical methods to help people identify clearer thinking and build new coping skills.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to work on thought patterns that keep problems in place. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is included when clients want to practice accepting difficult feelings while taking action toward values. Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques are used to manage intense emotions and improve coping skills.

Leslie often blends interventions to address trauma, such as strategies from Cognitive Processing Therapy, alongside skills training for emotion regulation. Sessions emphasize straightforward skills people can try between visits.

To begin, a prospective client completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules a first session. Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How sessions work

How Leslie applies therapeutic approaches online

Leslie commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in her work. ACT focuses on helping people notice and accept difficult feelings while clarifying values and taking small steps toward them. CBT works on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills when emotion regulation and distress tolerance are priorities. DBT offers concrete skills for managing strong emotions, improving relationships, and reducing impulsive reactions. These approaches translate to practical exercises and skills practice that clients can try between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Leslie will work with each person to figure out which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That collaboration guides what techniques are used and how sessions are structured.

Specific session formats were not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, support shorter check-ins, and allow for use of worksheets or skills practice between meetings. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and DBT tools so they remain practical and applicable to everyday household and parenting challenges.

Areas of focus

Areas of expertise

Also works with

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseSleeping disordersAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

10+ years

Listed in

Louisiana

Languages

English

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?

Leslie works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, sleep issues, anger, ADHD, and related areas.

How would you describe her therapeutic approach?

She uses a client-centered, strengths-based approach and draws on CBT, ACT, DBT, and trauma-focused methods to help people change thinking and manage emotions.

How much clinical experience does she have?

Leslie has 10 years of experience providing counseling and psychotherapy services.

What credential does she hold and where is she based?

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Louisiana.

Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?

Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

Please confirm current session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed in the biography.

How are sessions priced?

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

How do I get started with a first appointment?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

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.

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Leslie Cates

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