I welcome all of you here.
Being a human is hard. We are built to heal together, and we don’t have to do this alone. It is my great honor to lovingly hold whatever brings you here.
Hi! I’m Liisa.
I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist with additional certifications in trauma-sensitive yoga and compassion cultivation. I offer sessions for individuals and couples, online or in person in San Rafael, California.
I’d love to support you in opening to the beautiful parts of your life and finding fulfilling ways of being.
“Perhaps the single most important therapeutic credo that I have is that the unexamined life is not worth living.”
–Irvin D. Yalom
What we can work on together:
Anxiety
ADHD
Self Esteem
Child
Depression
Life Coaching
Life Transitions
Mood Disorders
Peer Relationships
Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum
Relationship Issues
Stress
Substance Use
Trauma and PTSD
Women's Issues
You may want to work with me if you’re seeking…
Understanding
One of the things I hear most from clients is that they feel truly heard, sometimes for the first time. Not just listened to but genuinely understood, and that’s something I take a lot of pride in and work at intentionally. Feeling deeply seen by another person is in itself a profound act of healing, and I bring my full attention and presence to every session to the best of my ability. In a world that moves fast and often rewards people for keeping things surface level, there is something radical about slowing down and really being with someone.
Empathy
I bring my whole self to this work. My empathy is not clinical or distant, and I’m not just theoretically compassionate; I genuinely care about the people I work with, and that care shows up in the quality of attention I bring, the way I hold what clients share with me, and my deep commitment to their growth and wellbeing. I did not come to this work because it seemed like a good career; I came to it because I believe in it.
Directness
I care too much about my clients to only reflect back what they say and nod along. When I notice something, I will name it, and when I see a pattern worth exploring, I will bring it into the room. I live for moments a client is able to see their situation from a new angle, and I work to create the conditions where that can happen. It is not about being clever or having the right answer, but about paying close enough attention to the person in front of me so that I can offer something back that they could not quite see on their own.
Warmth
Clients often tell me that our sessions feel safe in a way that surprises them, that they can say things they have never said out loud and feel accepted rather than evaluated. That combination of honesty and safety is something I work hard to cultivate because it is where the real work happens. Being challenged and held are not opposites. The best therapy contains both.