Donna AltepeterLCSW

Donna Altepeter is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people navigate stress, anxiety, grief, parenting challenges, and life transitions. She draws on many years of practice and prefers a collaborative, down-to-earth style that centers the person's own experience. Sessions aim to be practical and respectful of each person's goals and values.

Donna trained in social work and has long-term experience supporting people facing serious illness, bereavement, and persistent mood difficulties. She uses client-centered methods alongside cognitive behavioral tools and mindfulness practices to address worry, low mood, sleep problems, and problems with self-esteem. Her work also covers compassion fatigue, caregiving strain, and issues that come with major life changes.

Teaching has been a large part of her background, with many years spent instructing social work students at the University of Wisconsin. That classroom experience influences how she structures sessions - with clear explanations, skill-building, and shared learning. She sees therapy as a collaborative process where both people learn and adapt.

She has spent a dozen years in the licensed clinical social work role and many prior years in practice overall. Donna emphasizes practical steps clients can take between sessions, such as small behavior changes, new ways to manage stress, and narrative work to reframe difficult experiences.

People who value a respectful, steady guide for coping with loss, parenting strain, addiction concerns, or career and relationship stress may find her approach helpful. She offers care from Wisconsin and works in English.

How her methods translate to online therapy

Donna frequently combines client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness practices. Client-centered work focuses on understanding each person's values and goals and letting their needs guide the plan. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at patterns of thought and behavior and teaches concrete steps to reduce worry, improve sleep, and lift mood. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will talk with each person about their goals, try methods that fit their needs, and adjust the plan based on what helps. That collaborative process means trying practical tools, reviewing how they worked, and changing course when needed.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy days, avoid travel time, and schedule shorter check-ins when a quick conversation is needed. It also lets people practice skills in real-life settings and brings therapeutic tools directly into daily routines.