Brianna Yates, LCSW

Brianna Yates is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Illinois. She brings three years of LCSW experience to her work and a background in medical social work and domestic violence services. She aims to listen closely, validate concerns, and help people set and reach practical goals.

She has worked with people facing chronic health problems and new medical issues. That medical social work background informs how she talks about stress, chronic pain, and caregiving strain. She also provided therapy and education at a domestic violence agency, and that work shaped her skills around safety, communication, and healing from abuse.

Her approach adapts to each person. She draws on Client-Centered Therapy to follow what matters most to the person in the room. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. She also includes Mindfulness practices to help with worry, sleep, and grounding in the moment.

She commonly supports people coping with anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting stress, and challenges such as ADHD, bipolar concerns, and compassion fatigue. She also works with aging and geriatric issues, body image, and caregiver concerns.

Outside of work she enjoys cooking, walking, and watching shows, and she often mentions family life as part of her personal perspective. She invites people to reach out and start a conversation about their goals and needs.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following what matters most to the person. In practice this means the therapist reflects what the client says, asks questions to clarify goals, and helps the client steer the conversation. It’s useful for people who want a respectful, supportive space to sort things out.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches ways to notice unhelpful thoughts and try out different behaviors. Sessions often include simple experiments or homework to test what helps with anxiety, low mood, or sleep problems. This approach is practical and goal-oriented.

Mindfulness Therapy introduces short practices to reduce rumination and improve focus. Techniques can include breathing exercises, body scans, and grounding strategies that help with stress and sleep. These tools are easy to practice between sessions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and daily life. This may mean mixing elements of client-centered listening, CBT exercises, and mindfulness practice over time.

Confirm the current session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, shorten commute time, and allow brief check-ins when needed. Talk with the therapist about how to arrange sessions so they fit your routine.