Profile / United States
Lisa Rakusin, LCSW
California
LCSW - Stress and Anxiety support
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Trauma-informed methods
- Client-centered work
About Lisa
Lisa Rakusin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with 11 years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, life transitions, and grief. Lisa focuses on practical steps that help clients notice unhelpful thoughts and try new ways of responding.
Her approach starts with listening to the person's story and identifying strengths they already have. Sessions often include clear, concrete tools drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other methods to change patterns of thinking and behavior. She also draws on attachment-informed ideas to notice how relationships affect feelings and reactions.
Lisa uses client-centered techniques to keep sessions focused on your goals. That can mean shorter skill-building work some weeks, and deeper emotion-focused conversations on others. Where trauma is a focus, she includes methods to reduce distress and process difficult memories in manageable steps.
Practical tasks and homework are common. Clients may track thoughts, try behavioral experiments, or practice new communication habits between sessions. The pace is set collaboratively so steps can fit into everyday life.
Lisa has worked across settings over her career and brings that experience into her sessions. She encourages people to try different strategies and notice what helps. To begin, she asks a few focused questions to clarify goals and then plans the next small step together.
How Lisa applies approaches in online sessions
Lisa commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot patterns of thinking and test new behavioral responses. CBT sessions focus on practical skills like tracking thoughts, planning experiments, and changing routines to reduce distress.She also integrates attachment-based ideas to look at how relationship patterns shape reactions and emotional needs. That work helps with connection issues and longstanding interpersonal patterns. Client-centered methods keep sessions focused on the client's priorities and pace, with the therapist following the person's lead on what feels most useful.
Finding the best approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match goals, comfort, and preferences. That might mean structured CBT exercises for anxiety, attachment-informed exploration for relationship concerns, or a mix of approaches over time.
Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove the need to travel. The therapist will discuss practical scheduling and format details during the initial steps so sessions fit everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
11+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she help with most often?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, life transitions, depression, addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem, career questions, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and related areas.
How does she use CBT in sessions?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. Sessions include concrete exercises and short practical assignments to try between visits.
What is her background and experience?
She holds 11 years of professional experience and has worked in multiple clinical settings supporting people through stress, trauma, and life changes.
What credential and region does she practice in?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California.
In what language are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients seek sessions?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location, and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Choose the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session to get started.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.