Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) Therapists in Lakeville, CT

I believe that every person has an emotional, mental, physical and spiritual life that needs to be supported and nurtured. The path to healing and self-acceptance occurs through a collaborative approach, focused on enhancing personal strengths and insight. Empowering individuals to manage challenges and stressors. My therapeutic approach utilizes the principles of contextual and cognitive-behavioral techniques, as well as skill-based therapies to improve personal effectiveness and empowerment.

Art Therapy, a beneficial and non-threatening alternative to traditional talk therapy. We all have the ability and creativity to connect to images generated by ourselves or by others. Art making has a primal component and brings us great insight into our inner experience. It's my passion and priority to create opportunities for others to recognize and develop their authentic self in a safe and supportive environment. My areas of focus include working with individuals, couples and families, trauma, relational, and substance dependency challenges. I also provided supervision hours for emerging art therapists.

I specialize in mood disorders and anxiety. I've published five books--Undoing Depression is probably the most familiar---on depression, stress, and happiness, My latest, "Rewire," was released August 2014, and I'm working on a new book about self-destructive behavior. My approach is basically psychodynamic, with a lot of CBT and mindfulness. I believe that anyone can change--the brain can literally be rewired--but it takes a lot of patience and practice. Most of the people I meet have been battered around by life, and it's left scars--difficulty hoping, difficulty trusting. It's my job to mobilize that hope and trust.

I am professional counselor with 12 years of experience specializing in substance use disorders and co-occurring conditions like depression and anxiety. My passion lies in practicing from a trauma-informed perspective, supporting adults in navigating the impacts of trauma on their lives, empowering them to achieve their desired outcomes, and assisting them in discovering their goals. Through compassionate listening, validation, and a strengths-based approach, I am dedicated to supporting you in reclaiming your narrative, fostering self-compassion, and building a foundation for lasting well-being and flourishing.

My psychotherapy practice is dedicated to helping people overcome difficulties in managing troubling emotions, dysfunctional behaviors, or problems in career, relationship, or life transition. Working primarily in short-term cognitive behavioral models, trouble areas are defined and broken down. Clients are actively encouraged to collaborate on developing new, healthier perspectives, and to generate and practice effective coping strategies and skills. Foundations in psychodynamic and developmental theory, neuroscience, as well as eastern philosophy and mindfulness practice often inform and shape the course of work.

Reaching out for support can feel overwhelming, but sobriety is worth the effort. Throughout my time working in the behavioral health field, including my role as a clinician at Mountainside treatment center, I have had the pleasure of assisting clients as they embark on their recovery journey. At Mountainside, I use a person-centered approach to form meaningful therapeutic relationships and brainstorm practical solutions to early treatment hurdles. Drawing from evidence-based practices, I have helped people of different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds create treatment plans to ensure a comprehensive and successful recovery.

Recovery from substance use is a process that takes time and patience, and everyone’s experience is unique. Together, we will create an individualized plan tailored to your needs and goals while exploring ways to cope with overwhelming emotions, trauma, and any internal conflict you may have. Through modalities such as Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ego State Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing, we will work together on what is most important to and for you.

Healing from a substance use disorder is not about control, but about learning to adapt and move forward with your life as you repair your relationships and find balance in sobriety. In my time as a clinician, I have acquired extensive experience working with adults, adolescents, and families with co-occurring disorders in substance abuse residential and outpatient treatment programs. I know that everyone’s recovery process is unique. At Mountainside Huntington, I develop individual treatment plans for each client, using a variety of clinical and holistic therapies tailored to their needs.

I understand it takes a tremendous amount of courage to enter therapy. My intention is to offer a supportive, compassionate, evidence-based model of treatment particular to the goals of the client. Please feel free to contact me or visit my website at www.lisaoneillmft.com if you have any questions on how therapy might benefit you,or your family.

My practice aims to restore each person's innate mental and physical balance. I help people analyze their relationships, find patterns and learn new behaviors and ways of coping. I like to work closely with primary care physicians to optimize each client's total health.Because of my research background, I strive to stay current on evidence-based practice and to use the new findings of brain science to help people overcome mental disorders which can be helped by restoring brain health. I use clinical hypnotherapy to help patients with chronic pain and anxiety as well as for performance. I am also certified in EMDR

As a clinician, my most inspiring clients are the adolescents and adults that have overcome the struggles of addiction, eating disorders and family conflict. Effective change happens when strategies addressing the underlying problem are individualized and creative. The safe space offered in therapy allows my clients to explore their feelings, their choices, and challenge their patterns of behavior. I have worked extensively with teens struggling at school, at home, and with the legal system. My work with parents includes finding effective strategies to reach their teen while opening the lines of communication within the family system.

Substance use disorders treatment can save your or a loved one’s life. For over 15 years, I have enjoyed working with individuals and families to elicit positive change in their lives. As the Outpatient Services Program Manager at Mountainside treatment center in Wilton, I implement Acceptance Commitment Therapy, as well as somatic and experiential therapies to help my clients engage more fully in what gives them a sense of meaning and purposefulness in their lives. I also like to incorporate mindfulness and breathwork through my experience as a yoga teacher.