Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
How Alison works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCSW, CSW
- Licensed in
- Illinois, Colorado
- Years in practice
- 3
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Alison
Alison McCandless is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has worked in community mental health for three years. She is licensed in Illinois and Colorado and recently relocated to Denver, Colorado. Alison focuses on practical support for people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, mood difficulties, and anger.
She spent her clinical years helping people with a wide range of concerns. That included mood and psychotic disorders, addiction, grief, and workplace or financial stress.
Background and approach
Her background includes working with low-income communities, which shaped a direct, down-to-earth style. Alison tailors her approach to each person. She uses cognitive behavioral strategies to notice patterns and try small changes in thinking and behavior.
She also draws on dialectical behavior therapy skills to teach emotion regulation and coping tools. She gathers personal history to help clients make sense of past events and how they affect current choices. That psychodynamic lens is combined with a strengths-based focus to identify what a person already does well.
Conversations often move between skill practice and looking at longer-term patterns. Sessions aim to be practical and hopeful. Alison hopes to help people reduce overwhelming reactions, improve relationships, and find clearer direction.
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs. To begin, people follow the platform’s matching steps and schedule sessions based on availability. Alison works in English and sees clients in Colorado under her Colorado LCSW.
What Alison works with
Everything Alison lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Alison's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Eating and food-related issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Alison lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Alison's approaches fit with online therapy
Alison commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in her work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing small behavior changes to reduce distress. It can help with anxiety, depression, and problem behaviors by giving concrete steps people can try between sessions. DBT teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills to manage intense feelings and reduce reactive patterns.Finding the right approach is a joint process. Alison will work with each person to decide which methods suit their goals and day-to-day life. She combines skills training with looking at personal history so the plan can shift as needs change.
Online formats offer practical benefits for this collaborative work. Video calls let a therapist and client practice skills together visually. Phone sessions can be quicker and use less bandwidth for brief check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to send short updates, practice homework, or get a prompt skill reminder between sessions. These options add flexibility to fit therapy into work, family, and other routines.
Questions people ask about Alison
What concerns does Alison commonly address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, bipolar and depression, addictions, grief, anger, self-esteem, and workplace or relationship strain.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Alison mixes practical skill teaching with exploration of personal history. Sessions often balance coping tools and understanding how past experiences shape current behavior.
What is her clinical background?
She has three years of experience in community mental health, working mainly with low-income populations and people with a range of mental health needs.
Which credentials and location apply to her practice?
She holds LCSW and CSW credentials and is licensed in Illinois and Colorado, practicing from Colorado.
What languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can take place by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and preferences.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling sessions according to therapist availability.