Carleen Riley-Mercado

Carleen Riley-Mercado is a licensed social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, and trauma. She also supports those coping with parenting challenges, low self-esteem, grief, and relationship or intimacy concerns. Carleen brings about ten years of clinical experience to her work and practices in Kansas as an LMSW and an LSCSW.

She keeps sessions focused on each person's values and identity. Carleen listens first, then helps people name what matters to them. She uses plain, practical steps so change feels doable between visits.

Her approach draws on Trauma-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and cognitive behavioral ideas when those methods fit the situation. Attachment-based and client-centered ways of working shape how she builds trust and explores important relationships. Carleen tailors methods to each person's needs rather than following a one-size-fits-all plan.

Carleen works with people from many backgrounds, including Christian faith, LGBTQ+ identities, non-religious clients, and those with conservative values. She aims to create a respectful space where people can talk about guilt, shame, forgiveness, control, and self-worth without judgment.

Sessions emphasize practical coping tools, clearer thinking patterns, and steps toward healing from past hurt. The pace is set by the person seeking help, and Carleen aims to support growth with patience and direct guidance.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Trauma-Focused Therapy looks at how past hurts affect daily life and relationships. It helps people name and work through traumatic memories and the reactions that follow so they feel less overwhelmed by them.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on what matters to you and on small, committed steps toward those values. It teaches ways to notice difficult thoughts without getting stuck and to act in line with personal goals.

Attachment-Based ideas guide conversations about how early and current relationships shape feelings and behavior. This can help when patterns of trust, closeness, or boundaries feel stuck and painful.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about needs, goals, and preferences and will try different methods to find what fits best. Progress is guided by what feels useful and feasible for the person in front of her.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the specific session options before booking since formats were not listed in the profile. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Therapists can adapt trauma-focused work, ACT exercises, and attachment conversations to an online setting while focusing on practical steps that carry over into everyday routines.