Carleen Riley-Mercado, LMSW, LSCSW

Values-centered approach
Trauma-informed care
Practical coping skills

About Carleen

Carleen Riley-Mercado is a licensed social worker with ten years of clinical experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, parenting challenges, and struggles with self-esteem. She also works with concerns like grief, relationship and intimacy issues, eating and sleeping problems, and codependency.

Carleen honors each person’s background, values, and beliefs. She seeks to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space for clients who identify across a range of faiths and orientations. Her style is direct but compassionate, aiming to build trust so people can take the next step toward change.

In sessions she focuses on concrete goals such as reducing anxious or depressive symptoms, improving communication, and developing healthier coping skills. She addresses shame, forgiveness, control issues, and trauma recovery with practical strategies and steady support. Parents receive guidance on stress related to caregiving and family roles.

Her approach draws on several evidence-based methods to match the needs of each person. Carleen explains tools in plain language and practices so clients can try them between meetings. She emphasizes working at a pace that feels manageable and respectful of personal values.

Carleen is licensed to practice in Kansas and uses her LMSW and LSCSW credentials as a basis for clinical work. She brings a warm, steady presence to the therapeutic relationship and aims to help clients move toward clearer choices and greater self-compassion.

How her approaches guide online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, stress, and getting unstuck when life changes feel overwhelming. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying patterns of thinking that keep problems going and practicing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like depression or anxiety. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people try new ways of relating when trust or closeness feel difficult.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That decision can change over time as needs shift and progress is reviewed together.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to keep momentum between appointments. Some people prefer shorter check-ins that fit a lunch break, while others value face-to-face video for deeper conversations. The therapist will discuss what works best for scheduling, communication, and day-to-day needs so sessions can be useful and practical.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety AddictionsParenting issuesSelf esteem Depression

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuse Grief Intimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesAttachment issues Blended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Codependency Communication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separation Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDParanoiaPersonality disordersPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-harmSelf-loveSexualitySomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

Experience

10+ years

Credentials

Michigan, Kansas

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Carleen help with?

She supports people coping with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, parenting strain, self-esteem, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, codependency, and related struggles.

What is her therapy style like?

Her style is direct and compassionate with a focus on building trust. Sessions emphasize practical skills and meeting goals at a manageable pace.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has ten years of clinical experience working with adults on a wide range of issues from mood disorders to trauma recovery and caregiving stress.

What credentials and region does she practice in?

She holds LMSW and LSCSW credentials and practices in Kansas.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the U.S. work with her?

International clients are not accepted at this time.

How does cost and billing work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin therapy with her?

Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule based on therapist availability.

Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.