What to Expect in Therapy: Demystifying the Process
Therapy involves more than talking; it is an active, step-by-step process built around trust, collaboration, and personal growth. Knowing what to expect in each stage can...
Miss Lisa Liu
Counseling Psychologist
“You don’t have to navigate life’s challenges alone. Lisa offers a supportive and collaborative therapeutic environment where you can explore your experiences at your own pace. She believe emotional well-being is deeply connected to thoughts, relationships, experiences and environment. Using culturally sensitive, evidence-based care, Lisa works alongside adults and adolescents to strengthen coping skills, foster personal growth and support meaningful, lasting change, whether in person or online.”
About Me
Lisa is Counselling Psychologist based in Linden, Johannesburg. She provides a calm, supportive and confidential space where adults and adolescents can slow down, reflect and focus on their emotional wellbeing and personal growth.
Her therapeutic approach is warm, respectful and deeply client-centred. Lisa works from an integrated framework, drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy.
Approach
Our sessions are shaped around your story and goals, moving at a flexible pace that balances thoughtful exploration with practical skill-building. She support clients in working through anxiety, low mood, trauma responses and challenges with self-worth. The pace and approach are carefully adapted for both adolescents and adults.
Contact Lisa
Ask a quick question or arrange a time to meet.
Basic Information
Services
I offer individual therapy online and in person
Services Offered:
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Counseling
A form of talk therapy providing a safe, confidential space to explore feelings, thoughts, and behaviours with a trained professional.
Learn more about Counseling - •
Trauma Counselling
Counselling specifically for people affected by traumatic events, focused on processing what happened and reducing symptoms like flashbacks and hypervigilance.
Learn more about Trauma Counselling - •
Adolescent Therapy
Therapy designed for teenagers, using age-appropriate methods to address issues like anxiety, identity, peer pressure, and family conflict.
Learn more about Adolescent Therapy - •
Somatic Psychotherapy
A form of therapy focused on the connection between mind and body, using body awareness and movement to release held tension, trauma, and emotion.
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Crisis Support & Counselling
Emergency emotional support and counselling for people in acute psychological distress, available at the point of need.
Learn more about Crisis Support & Counselling - •
Individual Psychotherapy
In-depth one-on-one therapy that explores the deeper roots of a person's difficulties, often drawing on psychodynamic or psychoanalytic models.
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Integrative Psychotherapy
An approach that draws on multiple therapeutic models, tailored to the individual, rather than following a single method.
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Online Counselling
Counselling conducted via video, phone, or secure messaging, providing professional support remotely.
Learn more about Online Counselling - •
Psychodynamic Therapy
A therapy that explores how past experiences and unconscious patterns shape current feelings, relationships, and behaviour.
Learn more about Psychodynamic Therapy - •
Psychoeducation
Structured information provided about a mental health condition (what it is, why it occurs, and what strategies can help) as part of the therapeutic process.
Learn more about Psychoeducation
Works With:
- •Adolescents
- •Adults
- •Individuals
Area of Expertise
Scope of Practice:
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Anxiety
Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.
Learn more about Anxiety - •
Self-Esteem
A person's overall sense of their own worth and value. When chronically low, it can drive self-doubt, avoidance, and difficulty in relationships.
Learn more about Self-Esteem - •
Trauma
The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.
Learn more about Trauma - •
Abuse
Emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment by another person that causes lasting psychological harm and disrupts a person's sense of safety.
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Adoption
The process of legally becoming a parent to a child who is not biologically yours, which can raise complex emotions around identity, attachment, and belonging for all involved.
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Body Image
How a person perceives, thinks, and feels about their physical appearance. When persistently negative, it can drive distress, avoidance, and disordered eating.
Learn more about Body Image - •
Depression
A mood disorder marked by persistent low mood, loss of interest or pleasure, and changes in energy, sleep, or appetite that impair daily functioning.
Learn more about Depression - •
Gender Identity & Self-Image
A person's internal sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with the sex assigned at birth, and the distress or exploration that can accompany this.
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LGBTQI+ Support
The unique psychological experiences of LGBTQI+ individuals, including identity exploration, coming out, discrimination, minority stress, and relationship dynamics.
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PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition that develops after a traumatic event, causing flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness.
Learn more about PTSD
Professional Title:
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Counseling Psychologist
A psychologist who helps people with everyday life challenges (relationships, work stress, adjustment) as well as mental health conditions.
Qualifications
University of Johannesburg
Registrations
Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
Counseling Psychologist
