LCMHC, 16 years of experience
A Big Hello to you. You are scanning all these profiles. Looking for something to stand out to make you say,"I will go with this one." It is daunting but you have made it this far. Here is the tip. Your choice is not terminal. It is absolutely ok to try multiple therapists to see who gets you the best. Who understands you the best. After each session, you should feel lighter. You may not recall all that was said, but you will note how you feel. Did you feel heard? Understood? Did the therapist talk to me like they were reading a book or did it sound like they really got me? When you get the right one, those questions will be answered with a firm, Yes. Please Note: I only provide Talk Therapy in my practice. If you are looking for letters for work, ESA, Social Security, FMLA, Family Court, etc., unfortunately I cannot help. You will need a psychological evaluation by a forensic psychologist. This agency does not provide assessments, letters for claims or appearances in court.
For Adult Clients: I love the question of what can a client expect in the first session. I know for sure how anxiety producing this can be. But let me ease that right now. Think the first session with me as a conversation. It will not feel clinical but more conversational. I will not push you to talk about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. So don't worry there. I will ask you to share what you feel comfortable with sharing that day and that will be that. For Parents and Guardians: The first session you and I will talk without your child present. This allows for you to share your concerns without your child feeling uncomfortable (we want to respect their experience:-). The second session will be with your child. I use a variety of interactive online tools with children. Therapy for children is not just talking. They would be bored to death. I try to make virtual child therapy look as close to it did when I operated a play therapy room. Your child/teen will have access to a virtual sand tray, play houses, story building apps and whiteboards that we will use in session. For best results, a computer is the best tool to use versus a mobile phone. Mobile phones will not provide the functionality that a therapy space for kids will need. Because these online tools will use your systems memory, it is best to only have 1 browser window open (with nothing open in the background).
I am very easy going but keen listener and processor. Check my website to see what clients have said. Professional boundaries and standards: Therapists are friendly but this is not the same as a friend to friend relationship. We are professionals that have prepared to work with you only in a friendly, yet professional manner. I will respect boundaries with you. We also must set work boundaries for ourselves in order to do this very important work. On scheduling: Please know that I will show up for sessions. If there is a True emergency, I will contact you by phone ASAP. Otherwise, I do not No Show clients. Clients who No Show are charged for that time that blocks them from being able to work. No one shows up for work and unexpectedly be told that their day will be cut for no reason of their own. That is the way to understand it. It is also a boundary that I want clients to think about and accept before they book. If you are prone to last minute changes. I am not the best therapist to schedule with. I work with serious clients who are committed to their work. I know that is direct but in this line of work, I have learned that you have to be. You know a thing about boundaries too
My ideal client is a person who is committed to change. A person who will want to challenge themselves when they catch themselves saying or doing something that they learn is a pitfall. May things you will hear in session will sound just like a conversation. It may not resonate with you in session, but in days following a session, your brain will bring it forward and it will click in. It will happen:-) Then you will have the moment where you do the same thing you always have done- or- you will stop and DO/SAY something...anything different and see the change it makes. And this will happen over and over again. Light bulb moments are nice but they don't change a thing until you do the above. My ideal client can resonate with this. I mentioned somewhere else on this site that my goal is to send fire myself. I don't want to hold on to any client week after week unless they are gaining skills that they are using. Talking is fine. Listening is fine. Changing your life does not come from either of those things. Changing your life only comes from what you do after a session. Practice is what makes it happen. Often clients will praise a therapist but still struggle months and years after therapy. I believe it is because the talking and listening were good in session, but the practice of new skills out of session does not happen. I want you to have skills for a lifetime. My goal is to motivate you to use those skills. Then, I promise, you will see massive improvements in all areas of your life. Therapists are not jacks of all trades. We tend to study what really interests us. For me I love sharing with people about the brain. One tip that I can give you is to read the list of specialties on the profile to see if it fits all that you need. Before scheduling, you can send an email if there is something that is not listed that you want to confirm. Often times clients think to withhold something very important and tell their therapists about it somewhere down the road. But that is not good for you because your therapist may not have the experience with treating that specific concern and you will need to seek another person who does. To save time and effort, don't be shy:-) Let it all out. No one will judge you but will instead respect your efforts to get support.
I welcome clients to bring the faith into their sessions to the extent that they wish. I will never impose my opinion or views on clients. Instead, I make myself available for clients to share their strengths and challenges with their faith as it relates to what they are currently working through.
How often do you tell yourself and other people, "I'm OK" when you really may not be? Our minds don't allow us to feel. It's always trying to protect us from something. That is where the body steps in. It tells us the truth through head or stomach issues, colds, and other things. Learning how to respect the signals your body gives you early on can really help in resetting the nervous system. Therapy is a good tool to support you in listening not only to your head but your heart and body as well.
My job as a therapist is to work my way out of a job. That means, if I teach you about what your brain and body are doing and give you ways to practice skills in your everyday life, you will be in therapy for a shorter period of time. This is my goal as a therapist. That is, give you all that I know so that you can take care anytime, anywhere.
The brain is marvelous and at the same time, it does not automatically lead us towards good mental health. It just repeats back to you what you have already said and done in a reoccurring loop. It does not generate anything new on its own. We have to train the brain to go where WE WANT it to go. CBT is a model that is easy to grasp and connect to. The skills are sensible if you practice them. Therapy should encourage you to see ways you can incorporate those skills naturally each and every day without feeling overwhelmed.
10 ratings with written reviews
July 28, 2025
Great first session. She balanced listening and providing feedback that was both helpful and reasonable.
July 26, 2025
My first session with Alisha Cooper was an amazing! I feel comfortable with her and will be booking another session with her very soon. Thank you so much!
July 18, 2025
I really enjoyed my session with Alisha. She is kind, intelligent, understanding, and, encouraging. I honestly didn't feel like I was in a therapy session at all.