Therapist profile
Donna Altepeter, LCSW
Wisconsin
Licensed clinical social worker - Anxiety and relationships
Continue with DonnaWhere Donna stands
- Credentials
- LCSW
- License
- LCSW, Wisconsin / 6641-123
- NPI
- 1184791774
- Experience
- 12 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Wisconsin
About
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness tools
About Donna
Donna Altepeter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Wisconsin with 12 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief, and codependency-related patterns such as people-pleasing and boundary difficulty.
She uses a client-centered stance that treats the person as an expert in their own life. Sessions focus on practical skills from cognitive behavioral therapy to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and habits. Mindfulness and narrative tools are used to slow down strong feelings and make sense of painful stories from the past.
Donna draws on long experience with serious illness, bereavement, caregiving strain, and life transitions. She frames therapy as a collaborative process of learning - combining what she knows with what the client brings. Expect straightforward conversation, skill practice, and occasional homework to test small changes between sessions.
Her work includes attention to intimacy issues, addiction concerns, sleep problems, parenting stress, and anger or mood difficulties. She also supports people coping with aging, cancer, end-of-life situations, and the stress that caregivers carry.
Sessions are offered in English and based in Wisconsin. Clients seeking help with setting boundaries, reducing people-pleasing, or managing anxiety related to relationships will find an approach focused on clear steps and practical coping methods.
How sessions work
How her methods translate to online work
Donna often uses client-centered methods that prioritize what the client brings to each session. This means conversations start with the client's priorities and move toward practical next steps. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and try different responses; it helps with anxiety, low mood, and patterns that feed codependency. Mindfulness work focuses on simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and increase awareness of feelings and urges.Deciding which approach fits best is collaborative. The therapist will talk with the client about their goals, try a method, and adjust based on what helps. That collaborative testing feels concrete: small skills are practiced in session and reviewed to see what changes between meetings.
The practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions into a busy life and reducing travel time. Because specific session formats are not listed in the biography, confirm the available online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to schedule brief check-ins, use screen-sharing for worksheets, and practice skills in everyday moments without requiring extra travel.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
Wisconsin
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship problems, and codependency-related patterns like people-pleasing and boundary struggles.
What is her therapeutic style?
She takes a client-centered and collaborative approach, combining practical CBT skills with mindfulness and narrative techniques to address thoughts, feelings, and patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 12 years of experience as an LCSW and additional long-term professional experience in social work practice and teaching.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Wisconsin and bases her practice there.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies by location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.