Alison McCandless, LCSW, CSW

Alison McCandless is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has spent the last three years working in community mental health. She moved to Denver, Colorado after practicing in Chicago and holds licenses in both Illinois and Colorado. Alison focuses on listening to each person’s story and helping them find practical ways to feel better. Alison works directly on everyday problems like stress, anxiety, depression, mood concerns, trauma, and life changes. She also helps people manage relationship tensions, grief, workplace strain, and issues around eating or substance use. Sessions can involve building coping skills, addressing overwhelming emotions, and sorting out how past experiences shape current feelings. Her approach blends skills training and deeper talk therapy. Alison uses techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach concrete tools for managing thoughts and behaviors. She also draws on Attachment-Based and psychodynamic ideas to look at personal history and patterns that repeat over time. Assessment is a part of her work - she looks at biological, psychological, and social factors to understand how someone is functioning day to day. That gives the two of you a clear starting point for setting goals and tracking progress. People who choose Alison often want both practical skills and time to make sense of their past. She aims to offer hopeful, nonjudgmental support and to help clients find realistic steps forward. If her style sounds like a fit, the next step is a short intake to see how to proceed.