Where Therapy Begins
Trauma therapy that starts with safety and connection, then moves when you are ready.
Safety & Connection First
Reaching out for support can feel like a big step, especially when you've spent months or years trying to manage everything on your own. We begin by getting to know you—not just what has happened, but how life feels for you now. Together, we explore what you're carrying, what feels most difficult, and what might help you feel more grounded and supported.
There is no expectation to share everything right away. We build trust and connection first, moving at a pace that feels comfortable and honoring what you are ready for. Therapy is a place where you can show up as you are, without pressure or judgment.
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The Smiles Way
Seen
We recognize that you are more than what you've experienced or what brings you to therapy. Your identity, culture, relationships, strengths, and the parts of your story that are difficult to put into words all matter. You deserve to feel heard, accepted, and valued for who you are.
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The Smiles Way
Understood
We take time to understand how your experiences affect your body, mind, relationships, and everyday life. By looking at the whole picture, we can create a personalized approach that makes sense for you and meets you where you are.
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The Smiles Way
Supported
You don't have to navigate healing alone. We offer a space built on trust, compassion, and genuine connection, where your experiences are welcomed without judgment and your healing unfolds at your own pace.
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The Smiles Way
Empowered
We walk alongside you as a guide, helping you reconnect with your strengths, discover what supports you, and build tools you can carry beyond the therapy room. Our hope is that you feel increasingly confident in your ability to navigate life's challenges and find your own way forward.
How We Work
A trail guide, not someone who walks the path for you
You are the expert on your own life. Our role is to walk alongside you, helping you understand the terrain, recognize your strengths, and discover tools for the path ahead.
Therapy begins with safety, trust, and genuine connection. There is no pressure to share more than you are ready for or to move faster than feels right. We meet you where you are and work together to create an approach that feels supportive and meaningful to you.
Sessions are 55 minutes and offered online throughout Arizona. We typically meet once or twice a week, with scheduling based on your needs and what works best for you.
What we draw on
Modalities
We choose from these with you, based on what you are working on and what feels right. Most clients use more than one over time.
EMDR
Helps painful memories settle so they feel like the past.
Cognitive Processing Therapy
Works with the beliefs trauma left behind about you and the world.
Somatic work
Pays attention to what your body holds and how it settles.
Parts work (IFS)
Makes room for the parts of you that want different things.
DBT skills
Practical tools for big feelings and hard moments.
CBT
Notices thought patterns that keep you stuck and tries new ones.
Mindfulness based practices
Short, simple ways to come back to the present.
Neuroscience-Informed Meditation Practices
We incorporate neuroscience-informed, evidence-based meditation practices to support awareness, emotional regulation, and the mind-body connection.
Sessions
What to expect
- 55 minute sessions, typically once or twice weekly, with timing agreed together
- Online sessions for clients anywhere in Arizona
- English and Swahili
- Clients 14 and up, teens through seniors
Consult and insurance
Start with a free 15 minute call
Not sure which approach fits? Ask during a free 15 minute phone consultation. Send the request form and Lisa confirms a time.
- In network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and UnitedHealthcare.
- Superbills for out of network plans.
- Intake / assessment session: $220. Ongoing sessions (55 minutes): $160.
- Sliding scale is available for those who qualify. Ask us about our sliding scale when you reach out.
- Please give 24 hour notice to cancel, or the full session fee applies.
Questions
About our approach
Do I pick the modality?
We decide together. We explain each option in plain language and you can say no to anything.
Is EMDR right for everyone?
No. Some clients start with skills and somatic work first, and some never use EMDR. Lisa is EMDRIA trained and can talk through whether it fits.
What if I want to slow down?
Tell us. Slowing down is part of the work, and we adjust the plan with you.
