Lisa Gunaydin
AMFT #142248
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (she/her)
M.A. (Counseling), PhD (Neuroscience)
- Telehealth
Client Focus:
Issues:
- Anxiety
- Trauma
- PTSD
- Relationship Issues
- Life Transitions
- Burnout
- Career Issues
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
You may be feeling like something is wrong but aren’t sure why. Perhaps others see you as successful but to you it feels like something is missing. Maybe you are shouldering the weight of anxiety, stress, or self-doubt that can often cause our worlds to shrink. I will meet you in that place and we will work together to dig our way out. I help people who are struggling with anxiety, healing from past trauma, grappling with dissatisfaction in career or relationships, and facing life transitions.
Therapy can help us identify patterns in our lives that keep us stuck in ways that are often outside of our awareness. Together we will explore how your past experiences and your current situation may be impacting your mental health. Releasing old patterns that are no longer serving you can make space for the change you want to see.
I bring my authentic self to our sessions and care about creating a space where you feel safe and affirmed in your identity. I offer covid-conscious therapy and value working with people from diverse backgrounds. My background in neuroscience gives me a unique lens into how the brain and body interact in mental health.
My approach to therapy is collaborative, client-centered, and trauma-informed. I integrate cognitive-behavioral knowledge with a more depth-oriented form of psychodynamic therapy that has the goal of cultivating greater self-awareness and emotional resilience. I also incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which uses mindfulness approaches to help clients move towards living in greater alignment with their values. My own values as a therapist include authenticity, safety, curiosity, and diversity.
Specialties:
More About Lisa
EXPERIENCE
Lisa is a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who holds an MA in Counseling from Palo Alto University and a PhD in Neuroscience from Stanford University. She is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS). Prior to becoming a therapist, Lisa had a 15-year academic research career in the mental health field studying the neurobiology of anxiety and OCD, most recently as an Assistant Professor and research lab director at the University of California, San Francisco. She has prior counseling experience working with adults and teens in community mental health and private practice settings, as well as three years as a certified sexual assault counselor. Outside of the therapy room, Lisa currently teaches psychopharmacology classes to master’s students in counseling psychology graduate programs at Palo Alto University and Santa Clara University.
Types of therapy
- Psychodynamic
- Humanistic
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Emotion Focused
More than just work
I enjoy hiking, running, playing tennis, cooking, and watching reality TV.