I’m So Glad You’re Here
You feel panicky and anxious, your heart starts to race out of nowhere, but you don’t know why or when it’s going to stop.
You feel like a prisoner to your own mind, living on the edge in a state of fight or flight, desperate for life to stop feeling like an uphill battle.
You don’t have to navigate this alone. Together we will explore your anxiety, helping you gain a deeper understanding of what is causing your symptoms.
I will hold space for your fears, providing you with a safe, judgment-free zone.
My Focus
When we meet, I am going to connect with you, wherever you are at. I want you to feel safe and accepted—not judged. The therapy doesn’t work otherwise.
No matter what, you and I work together. In a sense, we’re teammates. I’ll never force anything on you. Many of the life-changing conclusions you’ll have will be your own. To tip my hand, I’ll use my training and experience to build a strategy that guides you to these places of growth. But the only way you can enjoy lasting change is if you fully believe in a new way of thinking that is going to take you there.
A failure is not always a mistake; it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances.
The real mistake is to stop trying.
– B. F. SKINNER
Meet Dr. Lisa
I am a licensed psychologist in the State of California with an office in Mission Viejo, California. I hold a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University.
I attended Biola University (B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Biblical Studies) and I later obtained a master’s degree at California State University, Fullerton (M.S. in Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy). Then, I moved to Indiana to attend Purdue University’s doctorate program (Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology). It was a time filled with a lot of training in counseling psychology, research, and writing.
My research focused on my passion: relationships. I studied and wrote my dissertation on adult attachment and intimacy. What I found was that when it comes to relationships, our connection with our parents and caregivers growing up can influence the relationship we have with our loved ones as adults. If, for instance, we had a secure attachment with our mom and dad, that can impact our future relationships in very significant and positive ways. If our bond with our parents was on shaky ground, we’re going to notice some big challenges in our later relationships that we will have to overcome. I wanted to know, as a psychologist, how I could help individuals and couples overcome these major obstacles. It comes down to the emotional bond or connection we establish with one another. I learned how to help couples use even their toughest disagreements as an opportunity to build a stronger connection. During my graduate training, I worked in community clinics, university counseling centers, and a rotation working with fully certified Gottman therapists providing couples therapy. It is a research-based approach with proven techniques that I use with my clients today.
