Lisa Daly
Hi, I'm Lisa. I have over twenty years experience counseling individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, communication problems, anger management, and addiction-related issues. I understand how scary it can be to reach out for help, and I strive to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for my clients.
I have over twenty years experience counseling individuals who struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship issues, communication problems, anger management, and addiction-related issues.
Feeling understood and heard is essential to a good therapeutic relationship, and I am committed to ensuring that you feel both during our sessions. I provide telehealth sessions only, for residents of Missouri and Kansas where I am licensed.
First session
I offer a free 15 minute telehealth consultation so we can meet and see if it is a good fit. In the first session, I try to help clients feel at ease through a conversational way of gathering background information. It's my job to understand your history and concerns so that I don't waste your time advising you on things you've already tried or that don't match your values or priorities. I think of myself as an investigator getting to know you and your unique situation so I can offer customized care.
Strengths
Because of my own experiences with depression and anxiety, and past relationship struggles, I feel confident in my ability to offer real help. I empathize, listen, and provide a safe environment to allow my clients to process their feelings without judgment and with hope that things can improve . I have a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach that helps my clients feel safe and empowered. I know it takes courage to seek help. I have definitely benefitted from therapy and strive to be the kind of therapist I have found helpful to me. I have a unique combination of being comfortable working with faith-based clients as well as those who are agnostic or atheist. I am an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Ideal clients
I enjoy working with a variety of adults of differing ages and life circumstances including managing the struggles of young adult life, new and older parents, depression, anxiety, divorce, new career or job stress. Past trauma is often a topic needing to be addressed. Unresolved childhood trauma and unhealthy roles lead to patterns that need to be unlearned. I enjoy the challenge of couples work and improving communication and knowing what works to make relationships healthier. I'm not afraid to confront behaviors that are abusive or addiction issues when present. I prefer to work with clients who are honest and ready to do the hard work required to make good and lasting change. I feel grief is an often overlooked area that underlies depression at times and benefits from focus in treatment.
Origin story
I knew I wanted to be a therapist since age twelve. Even though I had loving parents, I struggled with low-self-esteem, and mild OCD, from age 10 to 16. I'm old enough that there was no Google to help me know what I was dealing with but learned after taking a psychology class my senior year in high school that I had a type of OCD. I also learned I had used exposure and response prevention to overcome it on my own. Mostly, I learned the power of how our thoughts can change our lives. This certainly worked in my life. I have continued to pursue growth in my life. I love working with clients to empower them to gain skills and confidence to handle challenges we can face in our lives whether it's mental health issues of depression and anxiety or relationship struggles.
Ongoing work together
Clients often come to therapy with an idea of how they want their life to change or know their therapy goals to some extent. Some wish to decrease anxiety and depression symptoms. Others want to address grief or loss. Some want to address addiction issues or poor communication issues or address past trauma, or current parenting issues. I will offer ways to break down larger goals into smaller more doable steps. Clients usually start off seeing me weekly, but as they make progress they can decrease that frequency to once every two or three weeks or even monthly or quarterly if needed. If weekly sessions are not financially possible, I can make exceptions based on the severity of the symptoms and issues you bring. Clients know they are making progress when sleep, appetite, anger, and moods are more normal and relationships improve. I make referrals to primary care doctors or psychiatrists to prescribe medication when needed since I am not a doctor.
Treatment methods
Trauma-Informed Care
This is the overarching idea that many of us experienced some level of trauma in childhood that continues to cause difficulties as we need to unlearn old ways of coping that worked back then but are problematic now. Examples include, being a people-pleaser to keep the peace yet now wanting to live authentically or being challenged to speak up more in a relationship.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
This focuses on identifying thoughts that trap us into black or white thinking, or all or nothing thinking such as "I'm either perfect or I'm a total failure." We identify the thoughts that lead to anxiety or depression or anger and use alternative thoughts to counter the automatic unhelpful thoughts. Instead think, "I'm learning and learning means making mistakes. I don't have to be perfect to be okay." Reframing the way you think about things can have a huge impact.
Strength-Based
Most people don't take the time to identify their strengths, but this helps build on the strengths you take for granted and expand those skills you have learned to use in other areas of your life. Learning to trust your gut is an important skill for empowerment.
Location
Virtual sessions