D, age 40
My journey began 15 years ago with a physical diagnosis that precipitated severe depression and anxiety, I was simultaneously co-parenting 2 young sons who both require intensive special ed. Though my physical symptoms had gone into remission, my depression, anxiety and sense of mid-life crisis, had not. Over the years I have worked with several therapists, each kind, but none of whom helped me to feel in-control of my own life. Six months ago Lisa was referred to me by my psychiatrist…working with her has been nothing short of a miracle.
As my issues began to peel away like an onion, what I previously saw as one enormous ball of complexity, Lisa shed light on from a totally different perspective. Her genuineness, warmth, clear vision and inspiring confidence helped me to better understand myself and find practical solutions to seemingly intractable problems. Ultimately, she brought me to a place where I could finally give voice to the truth of who I really am.
Lisa’s wisdom, honesty and humanity far exceed any label, certainly that of therapist. She is as a person that no matter how isolated I’m feeling, she continuously shows up for me, reassuring me I am more than the sum of any societal labels and encouraging my growth in profound ways…ways I cannot fully express in words. To know Lisa is to experience the human connection we all strive for in our daily lives in what is otherwise a disconnected existence in this mammoth of a city we call home. Lisa is a gift…. I hope you choose to open.
B, age 35
I had been going through life without balance because I remained ignorant to my bipolar diagnosis for so many years. I was using drugs and alcohol to self medicate my anxiety and racing thoughts while destroying meaningful relationships in the process. After many low points I finally knew I needed help and found some solace with a psychiatrist. The medication she prescribed literally saved my life and the recommendation to see Lisa complemented that immensely.
Lisa has been a huge asset to keep me balanced. She is able to help unpack my cluttered mind and help gather insights about myself to build the best version of myself. She has been a huge advocate of my sobriety and can find the humor in life when it may seem grim.
While I will always struggle with being bipolar I can honestly say that I am the best I have ever been. With her support I am more confident, in the best shape I have ever been and feel as though I can take on the world. There will always be dark days but she gives me the tools I need to tackle any obstacle in my way.
C, Age 29
Lisa is an incredibly kind, thoughtful, brilliant therapist. As someone who has been in therapy for most of my life, I thought seeing Lisa would be another opportunity to revisit the same topics I have for many years. However, Lisa has challenged me to think critically about my past, my choices and think deeply about my relationships. Not only have I uncovered new aspects of myself, but Lisa has given me new coping strategies that have guided me in how best to deal with difficult scenarios and uncomfortable feelings.
Additionally, as someone who struggles with self-esteem and positive body image, Lisa has given me immediate strategies to help enhance and strengthen my relationship not only with myself, but with my partner. She has coached me using sensate focus techniques to strengthen and support my physical relationship with him; this has led to a healthier, more satisfying relationship. I highly recommend Lisa to anyone who wants to delve more deeply into their relationships and discover a higher level of wellness.
K, age 39
When I met Lisa, I was in a dark place …a place that I kept hidden from everyone I loved and respected. Without the guidance and help I knew I needed, it felt as though there was just no way out. I can say with the utmost sincerity and appreciation that after just one session, I drove home that day with a happiness not felt in a long, long time. I needed to explain to someone what this “dark place” was, and in Lisa, I had found that person.
Throughout my first few sessions with Lisa my ability to express my emotions became easier and easier. Whatever fears and apprehensions were holding me back at that time, I began facing with a sudden confidence I knew was always within me. Lisa knew what questions to ask, and at times, what buttons to push. I had purpose within all aspects of my life — marriage, family and work — most important, I gained a newfound respect for myself.
It’s not easy admitting you need help, whatever that may mean to you. To me, Lisa has a remarkable healing quality about her that is palpable and was reflected in the methods she used throughout my treatment. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t take a moment to appreciate the help she gave me.
M, age 34
I have been seeing Lisa for over a year and she is amazing. I am blessed to have been referred to her. Her feedback and insight have made me realize how strong a woman I am and how to fully embrace that strength.
A, age 43
Lisa’s help has been invaluable. The pressure I face at my position on Wall St is beyond anything I can describe. I am thankful that I was referred to Lisa who has helped me immeasurably both with the pressure of my job as well as my complex home life. I feel, for the first time, able to face pretty much anything that comes my way.
R, age 27
When I started to see Lisa, I was beginning law school and experiencing a lot of additional anxiety as well as the continuation of intermittent panic attacks I had been dealing with since adolescence. Lisa helped me to recognize patterns of interactions that often led to these attacks and guided me through a series of meditations that helped me to feel calm almost immediately. Our work in therapy has allowed me to get in touch with what I was really feeling in my body (something I had never thought of before) as well as what was going on in my mind. Having these tools helped me control at first the severity of my attacks, and later the duration. Now they happen less and less frequently. When they do occur, I know what to do to eliminate them. Overall, my anxiety has been reduced dramatically and I find myself able to function at school and at home far better than ever before.
M, age 36
I have been in recovery for several years. Despite stints in several rehabs (which ultimately led me to stop using) attending the usual meetings and seeing several therapists, once sober, I was never able to stop feeling dread every morning, or exist without feeling like I had to struggle to remain above water. To say that I have lived with depression is a radical understatement.
Lisa was somehow able to lead me down a different path, working with her really changed my life. I’m able now to finally feel some lightness, and even joy on most days. This is something I’ve never felt before in a sober state. I am grateful to her beyond words for this. When I feel myself losing balance, Lisa gives me what I need to get back to this better place.
C, age 25
I had a difficult home life as a child and teen with a lot of instability in both parents. I have been dealing with anxiety and OCD behaviors ever since I can remember. In particular I could never shake the intense social anxiety I felt during almost every encounter with people other than close friends. I have seen several therapists before but never felt any relief. Over the last year working with Lisa I have begun to feel that there is a more stable floor beneath my feet. I have much less anxiety now in social situations. When it does occur, I have a strategy to help calm myself. Now I feel I have gained control over my anxiety: it no longer controls or defines me.
J, age 47
As a young boy I experienced several traumatic incidents and throughout my life have battled depression, ADHD and sometimes paralyzing anxiety. Until I began to see Lisa, I was never able to talk about my traumatic memories at all. After a lifetime of running from my past and drinking to numb my pain, I knew it was time to seek help. I had been through many failed relationships and always felt unable to connect fully emotionally or commit myself to anyone, even those women with whom I felt close. I knew intellectually there was a connection to my past, but was unable to really feel or make sense of it. Over the course of our therapy Lisa helped me work through the severe trauma I had experienced, gave me the kind of support I needed and allowed me to see what was holding me back in my relationships. Early last year I began dating a woman. I find myself today more able to enjoy our time together and live in the moment not in my head or in the past. For the first time I feel that my life is finally coming together.
S, age 53
I work in a fast paced, stressful, high pressure environment. At work, in a very male dominated world, I need to play a role to remain “on top”. When younger I found it easier to put on this required face, 25 years into this profession, I was finding myself less able to keep playing that role, and totally overwhelmed by the stress almost daily.
Even when at home with my husband and teenaged children (whom I love beyond words), or out with friends on weekends, before seeing Lisa I found I could never stop thinking about my job. The stress was so severe that I had developed a series of continual, physical health problems. With Lisa, I worked through a lot of difficult memories from my past. In ways I can’t fully describe, Lisa has really helped me. Today my home life with my husband and children, and time with friends, is a lot more enjoyable. I am able to put work away far more than before and when at work find myself more confident, without having to play so much “the role”. With Lisa’s help, I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
B, age 24
I was in my senior year at college when Lisa started working with me, though my parents were and are very loving and supportive people, I could never rid myself of the feelings of social anxiety that I felt during almost every encounter with my peers. Lisa helped me discover the source of my fears and to find ways to change my typical reactions to them. Today, my social anxiety is nonexistent in many situations and when it does occur I now have a strategy to help calm myself and view the situation more as it is, not as I used to imagine it to be.
