Lisa Rugarber, LPC

Hi, My name is Lisa and I am here to help.  I have been in the counseling profession for over 20 years.  The majority of my time I have worked with teenagers and their parents regarding teen issues, relationships, self-identity, pregnancy, home, school, parenting, grief, divorce, anxiety, you name it, I have helped teenagers and their parents navigate it.  I also enjoy working with adults on a variety of issues.  I work out of a framework of respect.  I have found over the years that everyone wants to be respected and have his/her voice heard.  I am listening.  I hope to create a trusting, safe environment where a person can dive into his/her gunk and sort through it.  I am open-minded and accepting.  With that said, I am honest and direct.  I believe we can always move forward and navigate life's troubles together, but if there isn’t honesty the rest of the relationship is false. I am good at holding my opinion, but if I am asked, I will be honest.  I want to support you and help you figure out the path forward for change and/or healing. I believe in most cases you are in control of your choices and actions, and when life is out of your control, there are still areas you can choose the next steps.  I hope to empower you to find your voice and your next steps. I believe change is within us, but you have to be wanting to change and do the work for change to occur. Doing the same thing over and over is a guarantee of having the same results.  Are you ready for change?

 

In working with me you can expect someone who is present, actively listening and looking for connections to current problems and past issues.  I am good at reading people and piecing issues together with common themes.  I also believe strongly in empowering a person and positive mindset.  I do not believe there is one “fix”, nor do I believe I can “fix” your issue.  The power is within you, and only you can decide what works best for you.  I do believe the past has a huge role in our future decisions and I will ask you about your past.  I also believe the environment, cultural values/norms and your family system you grew up with, saw modeled and your current family system plays key roles in your decision-making and how you see the world.  We have to work together and within your belief system.  I may challenge your belief system, but I will always honor where you are coming from.

 

I am very eclectic in my approach and the belief systems I draw from.  I am strong in Family Systems Theory, believing your family and environment play a strong role in who you are and the decisions you make.  I am also a realist, and believe in action, moving forward.  I like creating a “game plan”, “goals”, and talking about future plans.  I may ask you to think about connections made or observe and monitor various actions/situations that tend to repeat or cause concern or stress.

 

My biggest strengths are my vast experience in working with people of all ages, plus I am a Mom of 4 drastically different children.  Within my own home as a Mom, I have dealt with perfectionism, anxiety, giftedness, and learning differences with complex challenges.  I do not judge, I have been peacock proud and mortified within the same day. I have always worked in the service industry.  Working in a school setting not only do I work with students, but teachers, administrators and parents.  I am good at creative problem-solving and creating an atmosphere of trust and respect.  I am open-minded and a flexible thinker.  I tell it how it is, we can always move forward.