Lisa Tomala, LPC

Lisa Tomala is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a state-issued credential to practice counseling, and a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a national certification that recognizes adherence to professional standards. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from George Mason University and an M.S. in Professional Counseling from Grand Canyon University, combining undergraduate study of behavior with graduate training in clinical techniques and assessment.

With twenty years of clinical experience, she has supported active-duty service members, teens, and adults facing PTSD, depression, anxiety, trauma, life transitions, substance use concerns, and grief. Her clinical work is informed by both professional training and personal experience; having navigated her own grief, she brings empathetic understanding to clients coping with loss. For clients who wish to integrate religious beliefs into care, she can incorporate principles of Thomistic philosophy.

Lisa uses an eclectic, evidence-informed approach that blends psychodynamic exploration, cognitive-behavioral strategies, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused techniques to address current symptoms while exploring underlying patterns. She pays attention to early life influences that shape behavior and helps clients reframe unhelpful patterns, develop practical coping skills, and create new meaning. Lisa moves at each person’s pace and partners with them to shift from merely managing symptoms to building a healthier, more authentic life. Outside of clinical work she enjoys hiking, painting, spending time with family, and caring for her Australian Cattle Dog.

Evidence-Based Approaches for Online Healing and Growth

Lisa commonly uses cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and motivational interviewing. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. Psychodynamic therapy explores recurring patterns and the influence of early experiences to help people understand emotional reactions and relationship struggles. Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented method that helps people resolve ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change, often used for substance use and making difficult lifestyle shifts.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Lisa works collaboratively with each client to determine which techniques best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting methods over time as progress and priorities evolve. Licensed professionals recognize that flexibility and client input improve outcomes.

Online sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer practical flexibility for busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities, or limited mobility. These options allow clients to access regular support, practice skills between sessions, and maintain continuity of care from a location that fits their life.