About Andrea
Andrea Plate is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) practicing in California with 20 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage anxiety, stress, addiction, depression, and relationship or career setbacks. Andrea aims for straightforward conversations and practical steps people can use right away.
Andrea spent nearly 15 years running a residential substance abuse treatment program at the West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs. There she worked with adults experiencing homelessness and chronic mental illness.
How Andrea works
That work shaped her approach to addiction, grief, caregiver strain, and mood disorders. She also teaches social welfare and addiction at a West Los Angeles university, which keeps her thinking about new ways to support people facing life transitions. In sessions she uses a mix of methods to match what each person needs, rather than one fixed plan.
Andrea tends to combine client-centered conversation with practical strategies from cognitive behavioral approaches and motivational interviewing. She helps people set manageable goals, notice unhelpful patterns, and find motivation to change. The result is a plan that feels achievable and relevant to daily life.
Clients can expect an attentive listener who values respect and compassion. Andrea adapts the pace and focus to each person’s situation, whether the concern is caregiving stress, addiction recovery, career moves, or coping with loss. She aims for clear steps people can try between sessions.
Andrea lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Andrea works with
The areas below are the ones Andrea selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Career difficulties
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Sex addiction
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 20 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that guide online sessions
Andrea uses client-centered work to make sessions about your priorities and experiences. This approach means the therapist listens closely and follows the person’s lead to build understanding and a shared plan for change.She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on noticing unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavioral changes. CBT can help with anxiety, low mood, and breaking cycles that feed addiction or avoidance. Motivational interviewing is another tool she uses to help people find their own reasons for change and build momentum without pressure.
Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Andrea will discuss options, try methods, and adjust the plan based on your goals and what feels most helpful. That collaborative exploration aims to match techniques to your situation rather than imposing a single method.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions work well when visual cues help the conversation. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in. Live chat or text can support quick updates, ongoing reflection, or between-session contact. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and keep continuity of care across different circumstances.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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