Lisa is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Art Therapist. She received her training at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven Connecticut, graduating with a dual Masters degree in Clinical Art Therapy and Counseling.
Lisa specializes in the treatment of teens, adults and families from diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and problems. Her practice utilizes a unique, creative and effective approach to dealing with challenges and exposures surrounding people and today's society. Having worked for a reputable mental health organization for 15 years, Lisa has vast knowledge of helpful clinical resources and programs offered throughout the state, including information related to therapeutic foster care and adoption. Working with foster families and people who struggle with separation, disruption and abandonment issues is a passion of Lisa’s. She is trained in evidence-based models designed to effectively treat mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, as well as, complex psychiatric issues. By examining one's attachment style and using a combination of psychoanalysis and unique psychotherapy approaches, Lisa helps people gain insight into unconscious behaviors, destructive patterns, motives, defenses, memories and underlying issues that could be hindering personal growth and development. Her methods and style of treatment is known to provide client’s with clarity and understanding in a shorter period of time then traditional therapy. Unfortunately, sometimes people get misdiagnosed and can wind up feeling more lost as a result. Lisa’s mapping techniques allow clients to see the full picture and this alone can often provide relief.
TRAUMA and ATTACHMENT:
As a specialist in complex and childhood trauma, Lisa uses methods based in the latest neuroscience research including Internal Family Systems (IFS), Clinical Art Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to name a few. Her passion in this area drives her to spend hundreds of hours studying and training throughout the year, allowing her to fine tune and identify patterns, diagnostics and a clear course of treatment. Relational, Complex and Abandonment trauma symptoms can be elusive and often get missed. Chronic stress especially from early adversity, dysregulates a person’s nervous system, causing them to live in an activated threat response (fight, flight, freeze and fawn) throughout life, when left unattended. Feelings of emptiness, procrastination, chronic digestive issues, self-sabotage, unsatisfied relationships are almost always related to this highly toxic kind of stress. Due to differences in experience, treatment requires a variety of modalities and is tailored to the symptoms and needs of the individual. Using alternative means like art therapy is especially important when treating stress, trauma and shame-based conditions because these methods give access to regions of the brain where memories are stored. Traditional talk therapy is always incorporated in treatment and provides clients with needed relief. However, when working with chronic stress and trauma, where symptoms are wired in the body, talk therapy alone will likely limit progress. Sensory-based methods can be incredibly effective in reducing stress, anxiety, panic and intense emotions that often comes with hidden trauma. Lisa has had excellent results in helping clients quickly stabilize and process their emotions using these techniques.
Psychoeducation and understanding your "attachment style" is an essential component to trauma treatment. Attachment refers to how a person connects and relates to others, as well as trusts and feels secure. The interesting thing is, many people can grow up in very happy, healthy homes and can still develop a sense of feeling "disconnected" or alone. Humans are born to connect, relate and need to feel a sense of belonging. When these components are absent, life can be difficult to navigate. A person can understand themselves and their relationships a lot better just by exploring their adult “attachment style". The good news is, we actually have the capacity to shift our wiring and we can learn to experience a healthier, more secure and satisfying life! There are 4 types of attachment (secure, anxious-preoccupied, fearful avoidant and dismissive avoidant). It is possible to present as one attachment style then another depending on who the interactions are with.
THE CHALLENGING PERSONALITY:
Helping people better understand and relate to loved ones who might present with Borderline Personality, Narcissistic Personality (vulnerable/covert or overt type) or sociopathy is another area of focus for Lisa. Lisa studied and has been helping people understand the link between personality pathology, sociopathy, and early trauma, throughout her career. Her goal is to help clients identify and work through psychological, mental and emotional abuse cycles such as brainwash, distinguish invisible chaos, avoid danger and survive destructive circumstances. Some characteristics of the challenging personality: controlling behavior, difficulty getting along with others, bossy and judgmental attitude, inflexible and unreasonable thinking, talks in circles and half-truths, unrealistic and confusing perceptions, manipulation, deception, charming and witty, lone wolf, lack of consistency and shifts in belief systems, insecure sense of self, actions and words do not match up, indirect communication, difficulty empathizing and avoiding apologies, just to name a few. These behaviors can show up in parenting dynamics also -such as in high-conflict custody cases where years of coercive control towards a targeted parent result in alienation towards a healthy-range parent. In extreme cases, victims can wind up losing their life-long connections, resources and become trapped in their circumstances, never realizing how their decompensation is a direct result of these daily toxic interactions. For the covert type, it can take up to 10 years before red flags are noticed because behaviors can appear invisible and insidious in nature. In Lisa's experience, it is very helpful to evaluate and sometimes interview the client's social system to better understand the client's interpersonal dynamics.
***Just because a person exhibits any of the above characteristics and personality traits does not mean they have a personality disorder or other mental health diagnosis. It is very important to seek support from specialists in this area to avoid misdiagnosis and being placed in further danger. The therapist or professional must be knowledgeable about complex, abandonment trauma, family systems and attachment to fully understand these profiles. Due to the challenges in distinguishing the covert/vulnerable narcissistic type, it is important to be your own advocate. People involved with someone with these traits, often find themselves in unhealthy, draining and toxic relationships, which often leads to hidden mental, emotional and psychological trauma. If you are wondering if someone you know may have a personality or dissociative disorder, try understanding the person’s history and “attachment style” first. Also be aware of your own relationship patterns and history. Learn to execute healthy boundaries especially those who are strongly attuned, emotionally sensitive and empathic. A person can appear narcissistic when really, they may be “dismissive avoidant” in their attachment style. Though we may lean heavily towards one style, attachment styles should be viewed on a spectrum. Who we interact with also influences how you show up.
PERSONAL NOTE:
Her personal struggles, strong cultural influences, understanding her own roots and surviving sociopathic/narcissistic relationships, raising her own children, combined with her professional background, has provided Lisa with a broad and realistic perspective into the pressures and complexities of life and relationships. It is her goal and mission to support her clients so that they can express themselves freely, gain an integrated sense of self, develop healthy relationships and overcome obstacles to make room for happiness and success.
Lisa is first generation of two immigrant parents, who were born and raised in Marsala, Sicily. She and her younger brother Giuseppe enjoyed large family gatherings with her nonna and nonno, zie and cugini in the finished basement. She speaks two dialects (Sicilian and Italian) and tries to visit her relatives in Sicily every few years. Before starting her career as a therapist, Lisa was a hip-hop dance choreographer, stage/theater prop artist and nail technician. (So if you happen to break a nail during session, don’t worry Lisa has you covered). In 2020, Lisa became a Nonna and now takes every opportunity to enjoy this profoundly magical blessing.
