Hi! I’m Lisa (she/her)

Do you ever notice that one part of you understands exactly why you react the way you do, yet another part still feels stuck in survival mode? Maybe you know your triggers, can explain your patterns, and can tell yourself you’re safe – and yet your body doesn’t seem to get the message. You might walk past something that reminds you of the past and feel a knee-jerk reaction before you even have time to think.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not failing at healing – it simply means that your nervous system is still carrying something that hasn’t yet been fully processed.

As a trained trauma therapist, the primary lens I work through is the body-mind connection. While insight and understanding are important pieces of the healing process, trauma doesn’t live only in our thoughts. Our bodies often continue to hold what our minds already understand. This is why cognitive insight can bring clarity, yet not always the relief we’re hoping for.

She sees clients virtually and in-person at our office at 130 Spadina Avenue.

My Approach

My approach is integrative and collaborative, and I tailor our work to what feels most supportive for you. I often draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts-based work, alongside somatic approaches, to explore how different parts of you show up -such as parts that remain hyper-vigilant, parts that shut down or disconnect, and parts that work hard to keep you safe or functioning. These parts developed for good reasons, even if they now feel exhausting or get in the way of your relationships, goals, or sense of ease.

At the same time, I also incorporate evidence-based cognitive and trauma-focused approaches, including Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and other cognitive interventions. Understanding your beliefs, trauma narratives, and patterns can be a powerful part of healing- and we can absolutely work at that level too. Together, we’ll attend to both layers: making sense of what happened and helping your nervous system learn that the danger has passed in order to use a holistic approach and see the most change.

I believe there is no one-size-fits-all approach to trauma work. We’ll regularly check in about what’s working, what’s not, and adjust our approach accordingly. By working through the body-mind connection and drawing from multiple modalities, we aim to create deeper, more lasting change -not just insight, but a felt sense of safety, presence, and connection.

With over 10 years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families, my goal is to help you feel more grounded, more at ease in your body, and more connected- within yourself and with others.