Licensed to practice in Virginia and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Life Transitions

Lisa Bessette

LCSW, 15 years of experience
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New to Grow

VirtualAvailable

About me

I’m a licensed clinical social worker who believes therapy should feel like a real conversation with someone who is genuinely listening. My style is warm, down-to-earth, and collaborative. I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and times when life simply isn’t going the way they expected. Together, we’ll make sense of what’s happening, identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and find realistic ways to move forward.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

Our first session is primarily a chance for us to get to know one another. I’ll want to understand what brought you to therapy, what has been happening in your life, and what you hope will be different. You don’t need to arrive knowing exactly what your goals are or how to explain everything. My goal is for you to leave feeling heard, comfortable, and with a clearer sense of what we might work on together.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I bring warmth, curiosity, humor when appropriate, and a lot of real-world experience to my work. I’m comfortable sitting with difficult emotions, but I’m also willing to ask questions, offer another perspective, and gently challenge you when it may be helpful. I don’t believe therapy has to feel formal or scripted. My goal is to create a space where you can be yourself, feel understood, and leave with greater clarity about yourself and what you want to do next.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I especially enjoy working with adults who are thoughtful, self-aware, and curious about why they think, feel, and respond the way they do. You may be functioning well in many areas of your life while privately struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, relationship patterns, boundaries, or a sense that something just isn't working anymore. You may understand a lot intellectually but find that insight alone hasn't necessarily changed how you feel or react. If you're looking for a therapist who will really engage with you—someone who will listen carefully, help you make connections, and offer an honest perspective when it's useful—we may work well together.

Specialties

Top specialties

Anxiety

Depression

Identifies as

Serves ages

Licensed in

Location

Virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I use CBT to help you notice the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and responses. We may look at automatic thoughts, assumptions, or long-standing beliefs and ask whether they are accurate and helpful. Rather than simply telling yourself to “think positively,” we’ll look for evidence, consider other perspectives, and work toward ways of thinking that are both realistic and less distressing.

Attachment-based

Our earliest relationships can shape what we expect from other people and how we respond to closeness, conflict, rejection, and uncertainty. I use an attachment-based perspective to help you recognize these patterns without assuming that everything is about your childhood. Understanding where a pattern came from can help you decide whether it still serves you and begin responding differently in your relationships

Supportive

Sometimes you need a place to talk through what is happening with someone who will listen carefully and help you make sense of it. Supportive therapy is woven throughout my work. I provide validation and perspective while helping you recognize strengths, consider options, solve problems, and feel more confident in your ability to navigate difficult situations.

Interpersonal

Relationships are often both a source of support and a source of distress. I use interpersonal approaches to explore patterns in your relationships, including communication, boundaries, expectations, conflict, grief, and changes in important roles. We’ll look at what happens between you and other people and consider ways to communicate more effectively and build healthier, more satisfying relationships.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

I use mindfulness to help you become more aware of thoughts, emotions, and physical reactions without immediately becoming caught up in them or trying to make them disappear. This might mean slowing down enough to notice what is happening internally, learning to tolerate uncomfortable emotions, or creating a little space between what you feel and how you respond.

New to Grow
This provider hasn’t received any written reviews yet. We started collecting written reviews January 1, 2025.