Alis Africano, MD, LCPC
Supportive therapist for parenting and mood concerns
Explore online therapy options- Years in practice
- 15
- Credentials
- MD, LCPC
- Licensed in
- Maryland
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Alis
Alis Africano is a Maryland-based therapist with 15 years of experience who helps parents and individuals facing stress, anxiety, depression, and parenting challenges. She speaks English and Spanish and works with people navigating grief, trauma, relationship strain, mood concerns, and identity questions. Her approach centers on respect for each person's experience and practical steps to make daily life feel more manageable.
Alis believes clients are the experts on their own stories and brings a supportive, collaborative stance to sessions.
Background and approach
She listens for strengths and uses those strengths as a starting point for change. Sessions focus on real problems and clear goals rather than jargon or one-size-fits-all solutions. She uses several evidence-informed methods to tailor work to each person.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thought patterns and build different habits. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy supports people in clarifying values and taking meaningful action, even when emotions are difficult. Alis also draws on client-centered practices to create an accepting space, and elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy when emotion regulation or distress tolerance skills are useful.
Over time she helps clients build tools they can use between sessions. People often seek her help for parenting strain, communication problems, attachment concerns, and coping with life transitions. Her background includes attention to multicultural and immigration issues, fatherhood concerns, and mood disorders.
She offers sessions in English and Spanish and accepts international clients.
What Alis works with
Everything Alis lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Alis helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- LGBT
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Alis lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck and then take actions that match their values. It can help with parenting stress, anxiety, and major life changes by clarifying what matters and building small consistent steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches concrete strategies to change patterns that cause distress. CBT is useful for anxiety, mood problems, and managing everyday stress.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they adjust methods over time, combining ACT, CBT, client-centered listening, or DBT skills as needed to fit the situation.
Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls approximate an in-person session and allow for face-to-face interaction. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quieter voice-only check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging make brief check-ins and skill practice easier between longer appointments. These options help people fit therapy into busy days and sustain momentum during life transitions.
Questions people ask about Alis
What concerns does this therapist address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, trauma and abuse, relationship and family problems, grief, anger, self-esteem, mood disorders including bipolar, ADHD, and related issues.
What is the style of therapy like?
Therapy is collaborative and practical. Sessions focus on clear goals, real-life skill building, and using a person’s own strengths to manage problems.
How much experience does the therapist have?
Alis has 15 years of professional experience working with a range of emotional and family concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds MD and LCPC credentials and practices in Maryland.
Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
Care is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How does someone begin working with this therapist?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to the therapist’s availability.
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