Dr. Lisa N. Eisen

Dr. Lisa N. Eisen

I am a registered psychologist who has been practicing, teaching and researching clinical psychology for over 20 years.

“meaning ensues from meaningful activity” (Yalom, 1989)

I love what I do but I appreciate the fact that very few people in this world can say that they love their work. Many people just work in order to live e.g. to pay the rent or mortgage and put food on the table. Often this can lead to the question – is that all there is to life?
Finding meaning in one’s life is crucial, as Nietzche said, “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how”. In other words when you feel you have a purpose, you can get through almost any of the hardships that life throws at you.

Who do I help?

Individuals wanting to change themselves

• improving how you cope with stress or anxiety
• increasing moments of happiness
• changing old bad habits or unhelpful ways of being
• learning more about how to better assert yourself
• developing effective interpersonal communication
• increasing your ability to tolerate distress
• finding ways to be more present in the moment
• successfully dealing with grief, loss and trauma

Couples wanting to repair or strengthen their relationship

• Together wanting to learn how to better resolve conflict
• Individually discovering what you want from your relationship

Parents wanting to learn different ways of:

• managing your children’s behavior
• connecting with your teenagers
• setting appropriate boundaries
• creating more harmony in the home

Teenagers learning how to cope with the drama of life

• weathering the storm of your parents conflicts
• struggling with darkness and despair

Anyone, young or old, is capable of changing their way of being in the world…
… but it’s like the old joke ~

How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?
It depends…on whether or not the light bulb wants to change!

How do I help?

We all experience difficult times during our lives, I am no exception. I have learned through trial and error that it is how we respond to any given situation or crisis that determines our ability to cope with it successfully.

I can help you respond in more helpful ways, instead of becoming lost in thoughts that just go round and round, you can learn

• who you are and how to create meaning and purpose in your life
• how to overcome your fears and anxieties so that you can enjoy the moment rather than worrying about the past or the future.
• different ways of communicating more effectively with your spouse, your parents, your children or your workmates.
• to find ways of relaxing that work for you
• how to become more emotionally balanced, more skilful in managing your emotions

We will work together to develop workable realistic goals and make a plan of how best to achieve them in a timely manner.

As a therapist, I feel I should be accountable to you and it is up to me to monitor and review whether or not you are benefiting from therapy. If you are not, then it is my responsibility to either try a different approach or refer you on to someone who can better help you.

Some personal stuff

My wanderlust and sense of adventure and eagerness to learn new things has led to me traveling
all over the world. I have also lived in several different places, from the east: Toronto, Montreal
and Miami; to the way way west: Melbourne, Australia. But Vancouver remains my favourite
place to be, I really don’t mind the rain and the mountains, flora and fauna (trees, flowers, birds
and animals) fill my heart with warmth, contentment and peace.