Alison McCandless , LCSW, CSW

Alison McCandless is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and CSW who brings three years of community mental health experience to her practice. The LCSW credential denotes a licensed clinical social worker, and CSW reflects an additional clinical social work credential. She spent the past several years working with low-income communities in Chicago, supporting people facing life stressors, mood and psychotic disorders, anxiety, depression, and trauma, and has recently relocated to Denver, Colorado where she holds licenses in both Illinois and Colorado.

Her approach blends practical skill-building with deeper exploration of personal history. She draws from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychodynamic methods, and a strengths-based framework to help clients develop coping strategies while making meaning of past experiences. Alison values a biopsychosocial assessment to understand functioning and symptom patterns, and she emphasizes gathering a full history to connect current challenges with earlier life events.

Alison strives to work without judgment and with hope, centering each person’s story and strengths in the therapeutic process. She is not accepting clients at this time.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Alison integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors; CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and many day-to-day mood challenges. She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) strategies to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness - tools that are often helpful for intense emotions, relationship difficulties, and coping under pressure. In addition, Alison draws on psychodynamic ideas to explore how past experiences and attachment patterns influence current relationships and emotional responses, supporting deeper insight and long-term change.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey, and Alison works collaboratively with clients to determine what methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they tailor a plan that blends skills training, exploration of history, and practical strategies.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage with a licensed professional. Sessions can take place via video calls or phone, and options such as live chat or text-based messaging provide additional access between synchronous appointments. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and maintain continuity of care across locations.