Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Baker.
Hi Lisa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Colorado and knew from taking my first psychology class in high school that I wanted to keep learning about it. I went to the University of Massachusetts Amherst to get my BA in Psychology and loved learning about people, behavior, and the brain. As is somewhat common in this field, I didn’t really know what I would actually *do* with the degree past graduation until my Junior year when a friend told me about his plans to get his Masters in Social Work. When I learned that I could do most of the stuff that a PhD could do but with less school, I knew it was for me! I ended up making my way to Tulane University in New Orleans to get my Masters in Social Work.
Much of my volunteering and learning throughout undergrad and grad school had been focused on working with individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities and their families. I was fortunate to have my internship at Families Helping Families which was an information and resource hub for families that connected folks to services, providers, and supports in the greater New Orleans area.
Once I graduated, I moved back to Massachusetts with my shiny new degree and license and began my first professional job search. I had planned to return to working with the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) community but wasn’t able to find something. I got offered a job doing in-home counseling for kids, adults, and families in Western Mass and jumped in with both feet. As someone who had spent most of my graduate education focusing on community services, I felt like I’d been dropped in the deep end without knowing how to swim. The learning curve was steep but I made my way through and remain grateful for everything I learned in that first job.
Since then, I moved to Texas and have worked a wide range of jobs: Rusk State Hospital, dual diagnosis adult inpatient, adult partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient and then eventually a group practice in Austin (where my good friend from grad school worked).
At the time COVID hit, I was living in New Braunfels and commuting to Austin every day. Once I started working from home, I realized how much I enjoyed the different pace of working from home, not commuting, and providing telehealth. Since 2021, I have been running my own small private practice and loving it!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Certainly not! Generally speaking, I would not recommend moving half-way across the country when you are half-way through your required supervised hours toward advanced licensure. Trying to figure out how to navigate licensing in different states, determine what jobs meet specific criteria for licensure and supervision requirements, all while still being a brand new therapist was complicated! Not to mention that some of my earliest jobs were some of the most emotionally and logistically exhausting. Hospital work is fast-paced, emotionally intensive, and requires wearing multiple hats at the same time.
Fortunately, I had several wonderful supervisors and many co-workers who were supportive and helped teach and support me along the way. After several years of moving and job changes, I have accumulated a wealth of clinical and professional experience. I have taken something valuable from each position I was in and am grateful to now be working in a way that feels really attuned to my life now.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I own my own private practice and provide therapy for adults in the state of Texas and Massacusetts via telehealth. I am also a board-approved clinical supervisor who can provide clinical supervision to LMSWs in the state of Texas. I am certified in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and largely work with folks in this way. Over the last several years, I have really fallen in love with IFS as a way of working with people and understanding the world. Exclusively providing virtual therapy means that I am fortunate to be able to work with folks all over Texas and so am able to connect with folks who are looking for IFS even if they live half-way across the state.
I particularly like working with folks who want to work on addressing the impact of their childhoods on their current lives. I like helping folks identify patterns in behaving and feeling and helping them trace the roots back through their lives. I am endlessly fascinated with humans and the diversity of life experiences that we have. Learning about other people, working together to understand how their systems have developed, and what change might look like is really rewarding for me. I like to bring humor, humility, and lots of curiosity to my work with folks. Living in Central Texas, I feel honored to be a safe place for folks who are queer, non-Christian, or “non-conforming” in some way.
Outside of session, I am often musing over some of the existential aspects of life including grief, randomness, control, and how to have authentic relationships. This year, I wrote a book which has been a life-long dream finally realized! I feel lucky to be working in a way that I love with some time to pursue creative projects on the side. When not doing therapy, I am spending time with family, friends and my two dogs. I am always reading, learning, crafting, and trying to be in nature. It has been a long road to get here, but I living a full life that I love.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memories include being with family and friends out on the water laughing, swimming, and enjoying the sun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lisabakerlcsw.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisabakerlcsws
- Other: https://a.co/d/b0jAHJM
