OUR TEAM

Lisa Kays

LICSW, LCSW, LCSW-C

Licensed in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey & Oregon
Board-approved supervisor in Oregon, Maryland and Virginia.
(DC and NJ don’t require board approval.)

Lisa Kays (she/her)

Therapist/Owner

Lisa is an independently licensed clinical social worker in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Oregon.

She sees adults who want to explore anxiety, depression, their relationship with substances, difficulty fitting in socially, perfectionism, rumination, life transitions—including death of a parent, challenges in finding or maintaining a romantic or long-term relationship, and, painful childhood experiences—including abuse, intergenerational trauma, and addicted family systems.

Lisa works with people individually, and provides relationship therapy and group therapy. She also provides clinical supervision and consultation.

Lisa strives for her practice to be open and friendly to people whose identities are marginalized in American culture and she works to bring an anti-racist, social justice-oriented lens to her work.

If you have questions about any of Lisa’s identities or experiences that may be relevant to or important to you, you are welcome and encouraged to ask!

It is Lisa’s experience after a decade of experiencing the changes in her clients, and in herself, is that all behaviors, thoughts and feelings make sense given past experience and our cultural and social context—that there is, in fact, nothing wrong with us.

Through therapy with Lisa, you will explore yourself and come to better understand what parts of your suffering or struggle are linked to your temperament, nature, inherited traits, ancestral trauma, and what is influenced by your environment—the people, culture and social context that is constantly shaping all of us.

Through a better understanding of ourselves within this greater context, Lisa has observed that her clients are then better equipped to make decisions and find solutions that truly work for them. A lot opens up when you stop assuming there is something wrong with you—and start looking into who you are, what you need, what makes you tick, and what settles your nervous system, that you can start to shift things that will lead to a life where you can really thrive.

If you’re looking for a non-shaming, non-judgmental, creative, expansive type of therapy that fosters creative problem-solving, self-awareness and self-compassion, with someone who isn’t looking down on you, Lisa may be a great fit for you. Feedback from patients is that Lisa’s style is warm, dynamic, compassionate, respectful, and genuine. Also, that Lisa is funny and uses humor, when appropriate, to foster healing. We laugh, after all, to survive. Lisa is not a “stare and nod” type of therapist—if you want therapy that feels conversational, real, and down to earth, please reach out!

Training & Ongoing Education

  • Masters in Social Work from Catholic University's National Catholic School of Social Service (Lisa is not Catholic.)

  • Completed Relational Life Therapy Level 3 Training in couples therapy

  • Completed Training 101: Fundamentals of Working with Neurodiverse Couples in Therapy provided by AANE (Asperger/Autism Network)

  • Completed Hypnosis Level 1 training with the Florida Society of Clinical and engages in ongoing consultation to develop and enhance skills

  • Completed the Washington School of Psychiatry’s 9-month Supervision Training Program

  • Completed the first year of the Washington School of Psychiatry's Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy Program

  • Completed multiple continuing education courses on identifying late-diagnosed or undiagnosed autism in adults and Pervasive Drive for Autonomy (PDA) in children and adults

  • Advanced level trainee in Rehearsals for Growth! training on the use of improvisational drama in psychotherapy

  • Completed Raising Orchid Kids Core Course with SpeechKids

  • Completed Working with Adults Who Have Earliest Wounds: A Prenatal and Perinatal Somatic Perspective through Belvedere Integrated Healing Arts 

  • Completed Hand-in-Hand Parenting Professionals' Intensive Course

  • Participated in a weekly training group in modern analytic group psychotherapy (2022-2024)

  • Member of the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society and have and continued to serve as Small Group Leader at their conferences.

  • Lisa has trained and worked with a diverse spectrum of clients in a variety of clinical settings, including the Washington Hospital Center's inpatient psychiatry unit, the Catholic University Counseling Center, a residential substance abuse treatment program within a women's prison, an outpatient clinic primarily serving court-mandated clients and clients on federal probation, Kolmac Clinic, and private practice

  • Lisa’s ongoing continuing education focus is on expanding her education around neurodivergence, relationship structures beyond monogamy, and hypnosis, among others.

If you are interested in knowing more about Lisa’s ongoing continuing education goals or focus, or prior training or completed coursework, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Featured Work

Lisa Kays has delivered presentations and workshops on various topics including improv in therapy, improv for professional development, social media ethics, substance abuse, change and transition, branding, and advocacy. Lisa has published a number of articles and her work has been featured prominently in the press.