Featured Work

Improv In Therapy & Professional Development

Improvisation for Decolonization: The Role of Improvisation on Ethical Decision-making Around Cultural Competence, Social Justice, and Anti-Racism
American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) Connect 2024 Conference | National Harbor, MD | March 1, 2024 

Bringing More Improv Culture and Play Into Our Groups
Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society (EGPS) Seminar Series | Virtual | February 11, 2024

My client said I’m racist… What now?: The Role of Improvisation in Ethical Decision-making
Washington, D.C. | May 12, 2023

Improvisation for Therapists
Catholic University Counseling Center Externship Training Program | Washington, D.C. | March 23, 2023

Improv for Therapists: Treating Those in Recovery from Substance Abuse
Sponsored by Lakeview Behavioral Health | Virtual (Multi-state) | April 16, 2021

Improv for Vicarious Traumatic Stress
Staff, So Others May Eat (SOME) | Virtual (Washington, D.C.) | January 28, 2021

Improv for Vicarious Traumatic Stress
Jordan House, So Others May Eat (SOME) | Virtual (Washington, D.C.) | October 15, 2020

Improv for Teambuilding of the Legal Assistance Team (Pro Bono)
CAIR Coalition | Washington, D.C. | October 15, 2019

Improv for Behavioral Health Staff
Whitman Walker Clinic | Washington, D.C. | September 25, 2019

Improv for Staff in a Youth Treatment Program
Whitman Walker Clinic | Washington, D.C. | September 11, 2019

Improv for Therapists
Walter Reed Psychiatric Resident Retreat | Walter Reed Armed Forces Retirement Home | April 26, 2019

Play with Me: The Role of Improvisation in Personal Growth, Relationships and Therapy (Keynote Speaker)
Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Association Spring Conference 2019 | St. Elizabeth's Hospital | March 30-31, 2019

Playing, Not Using: Using Improv to Develop Healthier Responses to Substance Abuse
The Farley Center at Williamsburg Place Clinician Education Program | Williamsburg, VA | October 26, 2018

Improv for Therapists (2-Hour CEU Workshop)
The Wendt Center for Grief and Loss | Washington, D.C. | October 15, 2018

I'm laughing WITH you, not AT you: Improv as a Vehicle for Connection and Change (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
American Academy of Psychotherapists Summer Workshop | Stonewall, West Virginia | June 19, 2017

Playing, Not Using: Using Improv to Develop Healthier Responses to Substance Abuse
The Farley Center at Williamsburg Place Clinician Education Program | Williamsburg, VA | May 19, 2017

Using Improvisation to Unearth the Unconscious
National Catholic School of Social Service 6-Hour CEU Workshop | Washington, D.C. | May 5, 2017

Serious Play: Improvisation in Clinical Practice
Greater Washington Society of Clinical Social Work 3-Hour CEU Workshop | Washington, D.C. | March 9, 2017

Staff development workshop
Willow Oak Therapy Center | Rockville, MD | February 28, 2017

Teambuilding workshop
Attache Corporate Housing | Washington, D.C. | December 14, 2016

Laughter IS Medicine: Building Executive Functioning Skills Through Improv (with Brett Howard, PhD, NP)
CHADD of Northern Virginia, ADHD Connections Mini-Conference | Arlington, VA | October 15, 2016

Trust, Connect, Collaborate: Improv as a Tool for Building Habits of Recovery
Kolmac Clinic | Washington, D.C. | September 10, 2016

Improvisation for Clergy: Introductory Workshop
Alexandria, Virginia | July 29, 2016

Improvisation for EAP Professionals (with Laurie Emmer-Martin, LICSW, LCSW, LCSW-C, CEAP)
DCEAPA | Washington, D.C. | June 16, 2016

Making It Up As We Go Along: How Improv Can Lead to a More Authentic Life
Psychotherapy Networker | Washington, D.C. | March 17, 2016

Playing Through Anxiety: Using Improvisation Techniques to Improve Mood
National Catholic School of Social Service | Washington, D.C. | February 2016.

Social Work Ethics

Anti-Racist Group Practice & Social Work Ethics (3-Hour Ethics CEU Workshop)
Washington State Society of Clinical Social Work via Zoom | April 28, 2023

Social Justice-Based Therapy Practice & Social Work Ethics (2-Hour CEU Workshop)
Wendt Center | Washington, D.C. & Zoom | March 28, 2022

Social Justice-Based Group Therapy Practice & Social Work Ethics (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
Lisa Kays PLLC | Zoom | June 5, 2021

Must I Un-Friend Facebook? (3 Hour CEU Workshop/Five Fridays Seminars)
Washington Society of Psychoanalytic Psychology | Bethesda, MD | September 20, 2019

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
Whitman Walker Clinic | Washington, D.C. | September 19, 2019

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
So Others Might Eat | Washington, D.C. | July 17, 2019

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
DC Rape Crisis Center | Washington, D.C. | October 29, 2018

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (6-Hour CEU Workshop)
Health Alliance Services | Washington, D.C. | September 24, 2018

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
So Others Might Eat | Washington, D.C. | September 11, 2018

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (6-Hour CEU Workshop)
CPC Behavioral Health | Eatontown, NJ | July 26, 2018

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (6-Hour CEU Workshop)
Adelphi University School of Social Work Continuing Education | Hauppauge, New York | December 8, 2017

The Tangled Web of Social Media, Technology & Therapy: New Challenges for the Therapy Relationship with Dr. Marilyn Schwartz (3-Hour CEU Workshop)
American Academy of Psychotherapists Institute & Conference | Santa Fe, New Mexico | October 18, 2017

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics
Quin Rivers: A Community Action Agency | New Kent, VA | August 12, 2016

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics
CPC Behavioral Health | Eatontown, New Jersey | May 11, 2016

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics
Greater Washington Society of Clinical Social Work | Silver Spring, MD | March 25, 2016

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics
Lisa Kays PLLC | Washington, D.C. | November 5, 2015

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (with Dr. Eileen Dombo)
National Catholic School of Social Service | Washington, D.C. | May 2015

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (with Dr. Eileen Dombo & Katelyn Weller)
National Catholic School of Social Service | Washington, D.C. | 2013

Updating our Status: Social Media & Social Work Ethics (with Dr. Eileen Dombo)
National Catholic School of Social Service | Washington, D.C. | 2012

Other Presentations

Seeing the Unseen Child: Setting Aside Implicit Bias
Washington, D.C. via Zoom | October 25, 2024

Growing Your Group Psychotherapy Skills
Vesta, Inc. | Germantown, MD | April 18, 2024

Not a Pretty Girl (3-Hour Process Group Training)
American Academy of Psychotherapists | Summer Workshop | Zoom | June 26, 2021

Ethical considerations and racial bias in social work practice (with Cathy Roberts, LCPC) (6-Hour Ethics CEU Workshop)
University of Maryland at Shady Grove Continuing Education | Rockville, MD | May 10, 2019

Social work in various clinical settings with people with substance abuse diagnoses
George Mason School of Social Work BSW class presentation | Fairfax, VA | November 15, 2016

WIT@Work
Various trainings using improvisation for corporations and organizations.

Why do I need a group if I have 1,000 Friends? (Panel Discussion with Judy Simon, Alice Sklar, et al.)
American Group Psychotherapy Association Annual Meeting | San Francisco, CA | February 2015

Change, Transition, Re-Entry and Culture Shock: A Workshop for Volunteers Completing Their Service
Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps | Washington, D.C. | July 2014

Messaging, blogging and branding
Women's Funding Network Conference | Atlanta, GA | 2009.

Women’s advocacy
Women for Women International's Nigerian Women's Exchange | Nigeria | 2004

“Play Post-Pandemic: The Exquisite Grief and Opportunity of Re-Entry.” Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society Newsletter. March 2023.

“How to do less racial harm as a group therapist.” 11 February 2021.

“Being a White mom on 15th and Swann.” 2 June 2020.

“Finding light in the darkness of a mother’s depression, lies about a father’s identity and a legacy of trauma.” 20 December 2019.

“10 ways to bore bullies out of hijacking your public meetings.” 18 December 2019.

“How improv can shut down ableism (and other) privilege.” 18 September 2019.

“What improv has to teach us about creating Consent Culture.” 23 September 2019.

Don't Fly Away, Friend. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Dimensions of Friendship. 57:1. p. 108.

The Therapist Parents of the Pandemic are F&#$ed Up. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy Amidst Pandemic. 56:3. p. 67-71.

Can Politics be Pathology? Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: WTF? Oppression, Freedom and Self. 54:3. p. 81-84.

Voices in the Classroom: Teaching Diversity is Not a Job for One. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: WTF? Oppression, Freedom and Self. 54:3, p. 53-60.

Sent from my iPhone. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Technology and Psychotherapy. 54:1. p. 1-3. (with Dr. Eileen Dombo and Rosemary Moulton)

Tech Talk: Cheating presence or enhancing it? (An interview with Damon Blank and Loretta Sparks). Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Technology and Psychotherapy. 54: 1. p. 52-53.

Guest Editor with Dr. Eileen Dombo and Rosemary Moulton. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Technology and Psychotherapy. 54:1.

40s: Finally swimming. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Aging and Psychotherapy. 53:3. p. 29.

My super-secret love affair with ISTDP. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: The Body and Psychotherapy. 53:1. p. 93.

Foreigner. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: Race and Racism. Winter 2016. 52:3. p. 13.

Intervision: Response 2. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy: What's Love Got To Do With it?. Summer 2016. 52:2. p. 91.

“WIT's Lisa Kays on the Parallels Between Therapy, Good Living, and Improv.” Washington Improv Theater. 2 February 2016. [Questions by Dan Miller, responses by Lisa Kays]

“Clinical Social Work Practice and Technology: Personal, Practical, Regulatory, and Ethical Considerations for the Twenty-First Century.” with Dombo, E. and Weller, K. Social Work in Health Care. 53:9. Downloaded on 21 October 2014.

“Social Worker on the Job Interview: A Drunk/High Client Shows Up…” Social Work Career Development Blog. 6 March 2013. [Contributor]

“A Day in the Life of a Prison Social Worker.” Social Work Career Development Blog. 7 December 2011. [Questions by blogger; responses by Lisa Kays].

“Must I Un-Friend Facebook? Exploring the ethics of social media.” The New Social Worker. Summer 2011. Vol. 18, No. 3.

Various. GlobalGoodness: GlobalGiving's blog.

Girls’ Success: Mentoring Guide about HIV and AIDS. Academy for Educational Development. 2009. (Contributor)

Girls’ Success: Mentoring Guide for Life Skills. Academy for Educational Development. 2009. (Co-authored with Stephanie Psaki)

Keeping the Promise: Five Rewards of Girls’ Secondary Education. Academy for Educational Development. January 2007. (Collaborator/Major contributor).

Various. Ask Us How: Washington Area Women's Foundation's blog.

Ensuring Successful Partnerships: A Tool-kit. Africa Liaison Program Initiative; InterAction. 2006. (Original conceptualization and first draft.)

“The Hidden Girl Soldier: A Study of Professional Attitudes Towards Gender Analysis in International Conflict and Development Work.” Peace, Conflict and Development: An Interdisciplinary Journal. January 2005. Issue 6.

“Seeing AIDS Through a Rights-Based Lens: The Kenya Network of Women with HIV/AIDS.” Monday Developments. 13 December 2004. 9.

“Inclusive Security, Sustainable Peace: A Tool-Kit for Advocacy and Action: Justice, Governance and Civil Society: Transitional Justice and Reconciliation.” Women Waging Peace. November 2004. (Co-author and researcher).

Buying of the President 2004. Center for Public Integrity. December 2003. (Researcher)

“Empowering Girls in Education: Fixing the Girls or Fixing the Problem?” Off Our Backs. Nov-Dec 2003. 19-24.

“An Open Letter to the Editor of Jane Magazine from a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.” Peace Corps Online. November 2003.

“Empowering Girls’ Mentors: Benin Conducts Take Our Daughters to Work Mentor Workshop.” The Exchange: Peace Corps’ Women in Development Newsletter. February 2003. Vol. 36. 18-19.

“Don’t Know, Don’t Care.” Northeast Writers in Process: Perspectives. Eighth Edition. Kirksville: Northeast Missouri State University. 1995. 77-78.

“Prestige Lost.” Northeast Writers in Process: Perspectives. Eighth Edition. Kirksville: Northeast Missouri State University. 1995. 70-72.

“Teachers are people, too.” Raytown Dispatch. April 1994. 7.

“No trophies for academic achievement.” Raytown Dispatch. 8 Sept. 1993. 5A.

Improv: Fostering Connection in Challenging Conversations with Lisa Kays. Therapist Uncensored Podcast. August 13, 2024.

Video interview with Margot Escott on improv and therapy. MargotEscott.com. April 13, 2017.

Embracing an improv state of mind with Lisa Kays, MSW. Self Care with Gracy Podcast. Gracy Obuchowicz. July 20, 2016.

Freedsters in the wild: Rosemary Moulton, Some of the things we do when we're not here. Freed Bodyworks Blog. Kelly Bowers. June 6, 2016.

Washington's therapists embrace improv. Feature Story News. May 31, 2016.

Two words that change everything. Self care with Gracy. Gracy Obuchowicz. May 11, 2016.

NBC4's Changing Minds with Doreen Gentzler: Improv class offers special skills for psychotherapists. April 4, 2016.

The not so funny reason therapists are taking comedy classes. The Washington Post. Colby Itkowitz. April 25, 2016.

The landscape of liturgy: Improv and confession. God of the Sparrow. Ashley Goff. February 15, 2016.

The landscape of liturgy: Improv and empathy. God of the Sparrow. Ashley Goff. January 18, 2016.

The landscape of liturgy: Foundations of Improv class. God of the Sparrow. Ashley Goff. January 8, 2016.