LPC, 16 years of experience
I am Liz Serens, a Licensed Professional Counselor with over a decade of experience supporting adults through anxiety, ADHD, mood shifts, PTSD-related symptoms, relationship dynamics, and life transitions. My approach is collaborative and emotionally attuned, rooted in creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where growth can flourish. I integrate CBT, DBT, ACT, and Humanistic modalities to support clarity, self-compassion, and meaningful change. To support clarity and reduce distractions, I use Grow Therapy’s HIPAA- and PHI-compliant transcribe system. This secure tool is optional, but it is my preferred method. It helps me stay focused and present, especially when navigating executive functioning challenges. Many clients find the written record grounding and empowering, and it allows us to focus more fully on your story and goals. My clinical foundation was shaped early through lived experience. I grew up alongside my father, Dr. David Hartman, a psychiatrist and disability rights advocate whose memoir White Coat, White Cane chronicles his journey as the first blind physician to graduate medical school in the United States. Supporting his work and speaking publicly as a teen instilled in me a lifelong commitment to inclusive care and strengths-based advocacy. One of my father’s guiding beliefs continues to shape my work: “All of us are handicapped in some way.” It reminds me that every client carries invisible challenges. Healing begins when those challenges are met with dignity, curiosity, and care. I may occasionally use constructive self-disclosure to support insight and trust. This is always done with intention, clear boundaries, and respect for your therapeutic goals. I also use secure tools to support accurate documentation and reduce cognitive load, especially when navigating executive functioning demands. Therapy should feel empowering, not overwhelming. Whether navigating neurodivergence or seeking a space to be heard, I am here with insight and respect.
I work best with clients who feel comfortable using Grow Therapy’s transcribe program. While not required, many find it helpful to have a secure, written record of our sessions. The system is HIPAA- and PHI-compliant, and transcripts are accessible only to you and your provider. In our first session, I will invite you to share your name and location, review my credentials, and walk through how the transcribe system works. I will also answer any questions about privacy, security, or how the tool supports your care. We will review your rights as a client, including the limits of confidentiality, and I will invite you to expand on your intake responses so I can better understand your goals, needs, and what is bringing you in. My approach is conversational and collaborative. Intake and follow-up sessions are designed to give you space to share what has been weighing on you, explore patterns you are hoping to shift, and begin building a foundation for personal growth. I ask thoughtful questions to understand your story, your strengths, and your goals—without rushing into solutions or labels. Together, we identify what is already working, what needs care, and how to build on your strengths moving forward.
My strengths as a therapist are rooted in compassion, authenticity, and a deep understanding of resilience. I bring both personal and professional insight into how disability, identity, and family experiences shape mental health. I specialize in parenting support, identity exploration, and relational dynamics, offering a space that balances empathy with practical guidance. My approach is collaborative and emotionally attuned, helping clients clarify their values, strengthen boundaries, and build sustainable tools for growth.
I work best with adults navigating anxiety, ADHD, identity exploration, relationship stress, or life transitions. Many are seeking clarity around boundaries, parenting challenges, or personal values. Some arrive feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, and appreciate a space that feels emotionally safe and thoughtfully paced. Clients who benefit most from my approach tend to value collaboration, transparency, and practical support. I offer structure and adaptive tools for those managing executive functioning demands, and I welcome clients who prefer written records or visual cues to support focus and clarity. Therapy with me is conversational, strengths-based, and grounded in lived experience. I support clients in identifying what is working, what needs care, and how to move forward with confidence and self-respect
I use Person-Centered Therapy to create a space where clients feel safe leading the conversation. My role is to reflect, support, and stay attuned to what feels meaningful to you. Sometimes that includes constructive self-disclosure, such as sharing a brief example from my own experience to normalize a feeling or reduce shame. For instance, if a neurodivergent client says “I always mess up deadlines,” I might gently share that I also use color-coded systems and visual cues to support executive functioning. It’s not about shifting focus. It’s about modeling self-compassion and showing that adaptation is valid. You set the pace and I follow with warmth, respect, and transparency.
I use ACT to help clients make space for hard thoughts without getting stuck in them. For LGBTQ2+ and neurodivergent clients, this often means working with beliefs like “I’m not doing it right” or “I feel broken.” We notice those stories, clarify your values, and take steps that feel meaningful even when things are uncomfortable.
I use Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to help clients challenge rigid, self-defeating beliefs—especially those shaped by perfectionism, shame, or high-pressure expectations. REBT goes deeper than CBT by targeting the beliefs underneath your thoughts and helping you build more flexible, self-accepting ways of thinking. I’ve applied it across settings, including with clients in active recovery after relapse, where reframing beliefs like “I’ve ruined everything” can support emotional clarity and resilience.
I use CBT to help clients notice stuck thought patterns and shift them with practical strategies. As someone who lives with a disability and grew up with a disabled father, I understand how constant criticism can shape beliefs like “I always ruin things.” Together, we slow down, explore where those thoughts come from, and build kinder, more accurate ways of thinking that support growth.
I use DBT techniques to help clients feel more steady in the chaos. We build skills to manage intense emotions, set boundaries, and stay in the here and now when things feel overwhelming. Whether you're navigating relationship stress, big transitions, or just trying to cope day to day, we practice tools like mindfulness, meditation, and emotional regulation to support clarity, self-respect, and healthier ways to respond. I often use the feeling wheel to help clients name what they’re experiencing, even when it feels like “nothing.” Numbness is a feeling too, and recognizing it can be the first step toward reconnecting with emotion, language, and self-awareness. You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to start.
13 ratings with written reviews
August 15, 2025
I've had 5 sessions with Liz, and at each one, she's been insightful and pointed out things that I had been unaware of or unwilling to see in myself. She's kind and thoughtful, and often uses anecdotes from her own life to explain things, which, at least to me, makes her feel relatable and personable. She also gives me goals to work towards, recognizes when I've done something difficult, and celebrates my wins with me. It's been a pleasure having sessions with Liz & I look forward to continuing!
July 9, 2025
She was willing to let me change the topic of conversation and talk about issues that were personally bothering me the most, even if we weren't necessarily talking about that. I like how she was very open minding about my experiences, and was willing to talk through them.
June 28, 2025
Liz was super warm and inviting and kind through it all!! I appreciated her insights and questioning and I feel very confident moving forward with her.