Hi. Welcome.
I’m Lisa. I use she/her pronouns. Cats are fine but I prefer dogs. 😉
I could tell you my story, but I’d rather hear yours.
What I do
I call myself a therapist, yet really what I do is serve as witness to change. I work to understand my clients deeply, and reflect back what I learn, so that they can understand themselves in new ways. I’m a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in the state of California and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Washington, which means I can work with you if you are in either of those states.
My clinical background
I’ve been practicing psychotherapy since 2019. I meet with clients on Zoom. I was trained to do teletherapy even before the pandemic, and am now a Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider, which means I went through specific training and passed a comprehensive exam on providing therapy using these video technologies.
I chose to become a clinical counselor, rather than a marriage and family therapist, because of the focus on individual empowerment that’s integrated within the profession of clinical counseling. You can read more about my approach here. I now have both a master’s and a PhD in the counseling field.
I only work with individual adults (no kids, no couples). My strengths are working with people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, unappreciated, frustrated, or lost. I work with a lot of people who are trying to figure out who they are, such as young adults transitioning to college, adult children of immigrants experiencing pressures from expectations of their parents, people who are in conflict with their partners including over political beliefs, individuals exploring their romantic attractions, relationship styles, gender identity and presentation, whether they want to have kids, and people who are just trying to survive in this dangerous world under capitalism and abuse of power in a so-called democracy on a warming planet when everything is so expensive and it feels like there is no hope for our future. I do personally have hope, most days! And I’m also focusing on the reality of what’s going on around us, and yeah, it’s a lot.
All gender identities: Trans, NB, GNC, questioning, exploring, experimenting, all of it. Kink, poly, queer, pan, ace, aro, however you identify, or even if you’re not sure right now. Straight people too! 🙂 I am white, and I have specific training and experience working across cultures to join with clients of color and honor their lived experience, knowing it’s not like mine, but I am committed to doing my own work as a white woman so that you don’t have to do the emotional labor. I have worked with lots of young adults who are 1.5 gen children of immigrant parents, who are trying to figure out how to be American and still connected to their roots and family, yet be themselves in this place we call home (and who may be especially scared based on the reality of the U.S. these days). I care a lot about your values, your experience, your truth, and identity matters so much.
As a counselor, my specialty is helping with emotions, and understanding the patterns that can hold us back.
I appreciate being part of the trajectory for someone who simply feels like it’s a time for change and wants to discover new ways of living more authentically, who knows that life offers more than what they’re currently experiencing and is ready to find out what that’s like.
If you think perhaps I could become part of your story for a time, as you work on the parts of life that are currently holding you back, please reach out.
Lisa Wenninger, MA, MBA, PhD, LPCC, LMHC, NCC®, BC-TMH™
- California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor #14315
- Washington Licensed Mental Health Counselor #LH61478356
- National Certified Counselorâ„¢
- Board Certified TeleMental Health Providerâ„¢
- Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Northwestern University (CACREP accredited)
- PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, Antioch University Seattle (CACREP accredited)
