Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
How Athena works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCPC
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Years in practice
- 21
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Athena
Dr. Athena Porter is a licensed clinical professional counselor with more than 21 years of experience. She holds a doctorate in Clinical/Community Psychology and practices from Illinois as an LCPC.
Her work centers on helping people manage stress, anxiety, anger, mood disorders and life transitions. She uses practical, goal-oriented tools so people can notice change quickly. Sessions include clear strategies for coping, skill-building, and planning next steps.
Dr. Porter draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy alongside mindfulness and existential ideas to shape each visit.
Background and approach
Clients often come for trouble with relationships, parenting strain, addiction concerns, grief, trauma, or career stress. She also offers support for ADHD, bipolar mood issues, panic and post-traumatic stress. Additional focuses include caregiver stress, isolation and communication problems.
Her background blends clinical work, community outreach and public education. Past roles have included community presentations and awareness campaigns on topics like suicide prevention, substance use, smoking cessation and disaster response. That experience informs a practical, community-minded approach in therapy.
In sessions she aims to balance symptom relief with personal growth. People can expect straightforward conversations, concrete exercises, and collaborative planning. She also offers coaching-style support when goals are about life direction or wellness.
Dr. Porter conducts sessions in English and practices online and by phone from Illinois. She combines clinical knowledge with a human-centered outlook to help people move through hard moments and toward steadier routines.
What Athena works with
Everything Athena lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Athena's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- ADHD
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Family of origin issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Athena lists
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Hypnotherapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate to online work
Dr. Porter commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy alongside mindfulness techniques. CBT focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety or depression. DBT emphasizes emotional regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal skills, which can help with anger and intense mood swings. Mindfulness Therapy trains present-moment awareness and simple practices to lower reactivity and improve attention.Choosing the right approach is a joint process. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences and what has or has not helped before. From there she adapts techniques and may combine methods so work fits the person's needs and pace.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more accessible. Video works well for skill practice and face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits brief check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between visits. These formats aim to fit therapy into real life and make regular follow-up easier.
Questions people ask about Athena
What concerns does Dr. Porter address?
She works with people coping with stress, anxiety, anger, depression and mood disorders. Other common concerns include trauma, grief, addictions, relationship and parenting issues.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is practical and collaborative, using skill-building and clear steps. Sessions blend problem-solving with mindfulness and reflective discussion.
How much experience does she have?
She has 21 years of professional experience in clinical and community psychology. That includes direct clinical work and community outreach projects.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds the LCPC credential and practices from Illinois. The listing uses the provided IL LCPC credential detail.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options give flexibility for different schedules and preferences.
How does scheduling and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.