Lisa Rakusin , LCSW

Lisa Rakusin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California with 11 years of professional experience. She focuses on supporting people through stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and major life transitions, helping them build practical coping strategies while honoring their personal strengths and values.

Lisa works from a strengths-based, collaborative stance, believing that each person is the expert of their own story and already carries resources to draw on during difficult times. She encourages clients to take steps toward a more fulfilling life and provides steady support and guidance as they pursue change. Her approach is adaptable to the needs of the individual, and she draws from clinical methods that address emotional pain, relationship and family concerns, parenting challenges, substance struggles, and issues related to self-esteem and career.

In addition to those core areas, Lisa attends to challenges such as aging and geriatric issues, compassion fatigue, ADHD, codependency, and women's issues. Her practice emphasizes empowerment, practical tools, and paced progress so clients can move forward with greater resilience and clarity.

Approaches for Online Care and Therapeutic Support

Lisa Rakusin integrates several evidence-informed approaches to support clients in online therapy. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns of connection and trust in relationships, helping people understand how early bonds influence current emotional responses and relationship dynamics. This approach can be helpful for challenges with intimacy, family problems, and codependency.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where the therapist follows the client’s lead, offering empathy and validation to foster personal insight and growth. It is especially useful for building self-esteem, processing grief, and navigating life transitions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers practical tools to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, supporting symptom relief for anxiety, depression, and stress and teaching skills that apply to daily life. Lisa approaches treatment collaboratively, working with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences so the plan evolves as progress is made.

Online therapy with Lisa can take place by video call, phone session, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. These options make consistent care more accessible, allowing clients to engage in therapy from their own environment while maintaining a steady therapeutic relationship with a licensed professional.