Dr. Lisa Adams Somerlot

I am an experienced and calm Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, with over 25 years of experience. I have worked primarily in two settings, private practice and college counseling centers. In my private practice I have focused on chronic health conditions and working with people to manage the complications this can create for people in their work and in their relationships.

I have worked extensively with young adults who are working through the challenges of that stage of life; figuring out who they are as well as what they want and how to go making a life they want to live. I have a depth of experience in working with students with disability in college and the inherent related challenges, and in helping college students thrive.

I have served as a director in college counseling centers at Duke University, Vanderbilt University and the University of West Georgia, and I enjoy working with leaders in managing the stressors and joys of leadership.

First it is important to say that I meet you where you are. Therapy is customized for you based on your needs and desires. Generally, I work from an existential framework to conceptualize what is going on for you, in other words, how do you make meaning in your life. I employ a variety of techniques to help clients understand what is going on and how to best take action. For example, I use cognitive behavioral techniques to focus on how to get better. I also employ psychodynamic approaches to understand why you find yourself in repeating patterns. In the mental health field, there is a debate about whether focusing on present behaviors or reflections on the past are most important, I posit that both are important for lasting change and I can employ both approaches to help you move forward.

Clients have told me that they feel better quickly, just getting the issues off their chest and seeing a path forward. It helps to have someone deeply listen and seek to understand you in a safe environment. I often go slow with clients and use humor, which is comforting to some, and irritating to others. Regardless, your response is a way to better understand yourself and others. We can work together to find a path that makes the most sense for you. Life is hard. Therapy does not have to be hard, it will have moments, but generally my clients feel like they have someone on their side, and they do.