Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Goff.
Hi Lisa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I discovered yoga in my early twenties as a way to manage scoliosis and chronic back pain. I quickly found that I felt better physically and emotionally. Over the years my love of yoga grew as I became a teacher and then a yoga therapist. I opened a small studio and started working one-on-one with clients who struggled with chronic pain. It wasn’t long before I notice that all of my clients with chronic pain also had a history of trauma or mental illness. My fascination with this mind-body connection led me back to school to pursue a graduate degree in social work. Becoming a clinical therapist has allowed me to expand my expertise and provide in-depth ways for my clients to heal. Scientific research shows that whole body therapies are the most effective way to treat trauma and it is an exciting privilege to work in that space.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Going back to graduate school in my 40s was tough. It was really humbling to be a student again and have so many new things to learn. My brain was different, my energy was different, and I was navigating a lot of life changes. I was managing a new diagnoses of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) and peri-menopause. Like many women, my hormone shifts also revealed a late-life diagnosis of ADHD. My husband and I became empty nesters and that was a big adjustment for me. It has not been an easy road, but I am grateful everyday for what I learned along the way. An unprecedented number of people live at the intersection of chronic pain, neurodiversity and trauma. When I sit with my clients I am able to draw on my professional training and my lived experience. That feels like a gift.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and a somatic trauma therapist. That means I help people heal trauma that is stored in their minds and their bodies.. Research shows that effective trauma therapy has to integrate body awareness. All therapists are “trauma-informed” but not all therapists are trauma trained. I am trained in multiple somatic therapies including Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, yoga therapy and psychodrama. I weave these practices with traditional talk therapies like CBT and DBT to create a holistic approach to treating mental illness including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Empathy and the willingness to challenge clients. Therapy can be hard. We are asking people to change their lives, their thinking patterns, even their neural pathways. I strive to meet clients where they are at and encourage them to lean into the struggle. I am here to support them as they step into the life they are longing to live.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lisagoffcounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisagoffcounseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583820327682
