Leslie Cates

Leslie Cates is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana with 10 years of experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, grief, self-esteem struggles, and major life changes. Leslie aims to create a respectful, compassionate space where people can talk through what feels overwhelming and start to feel more in control.

Leslie earned a Master of Arts in Counseling in December 2016 and has spent the last decade supporting people with trauma, abusive relationships, PTSD symptoms, and complicated bereavement. She also works with clients facing caregiving strain, chronic illness, ADHD-related challenges, and problems with codependency and communication.

Her style is warm and interactive. She uses a client-centered approach where the person sets goals and guides the pace of work. Sessions draw on evidence-informed methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to shift unhelpful thought patterns and build purposeful acceptance.

Leslie also uses techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy to help process traumatic memories and manage strong emotions. Her focus is practical - teaching skills for handling anger, improving sleep, coping with grief, and navigating relationship stress.

Leslie encourages people to take the first step toward change and offers supportive guidance as they work toward clearer thinking and steadier emotional balance.

Therapeutic approaches that translate online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, anger, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems stuck, and it often includes practical exercises to use between sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which can reduce reactive anger and crisis moments.

Finding the best approach is part of the work. Leslie collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and comfort level. She adjusts plans over time and combines techniques when that makes sense for the client's situation.

Confirm the available session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, shorten travel time, and allow brief check-ins when a full in-person visit isn't practical. It also supports doing skill practice and homework between meetings. Talk with Leslie during the matching process to find a scheduling rhythm and session format that work for everyday life.