About Me
Hi, I’m AnaLisa.
My life and work have been shaped by my experiences with complex childhood trauma, chronic illness, breast cancer, and a difficult relationship with food and my body.
These experiences have taught me a great deal about suffering, the ways we learn to protect ourselves, and how challenging it can be to meet ourselves with kindness.
For more than thirty years, I’ve explored meditation, somatic practices, expressive arts, and self-compassion, both personally and professionally.
I’m grateful to be able to share what I’ve learned with others, and I’d be honored to share some of it with you.
My Training
I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and have studied mindfulness meditation, trauma-informed, and somatic approaches. My certifications include:
Hakomi Mindfulness-Centered Somatic Psychotherapy Practitioner Certification
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training for Professionals with Jane Kristeller and Andrea Lieberstein
Certificate of Advanced Graduate in Expressive Arts, Salve Regina University
Certified Eating Psychology Coach, the Institute for the Psychology of Eating with Mark David
Health Coach Certificate, Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Advanced Training for the Treatment of Trauma, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute
My Approach
I’ve experienced firsthand, and witnessed in others, how we can learn to treat ourselves with greater kindness, even when we’ve struggled with it for much of our lives.
I know from my own experience how difficult it can be to feel at home in your body. When we’ve been through trauma, illness, or other overwhelming experiences, we may have learned to disconnect from what we’re feeling, push through, or be hard on ourselves. Sometimes those were the ways we got through.
When we work together, I want to understand what life has been like for you, what you’re struggling with, and what you’ve learned to do to get through difficult moments.
We might explore familiar patterns, notice what happens when certain feelings come up, or spend time with the way you talk to yourself when things are hard. I want to help you find ways to meet what you’re experiencing with curiosity and compassion.
Sometimes it’s hard to find the words for what we’re feeling. We might use drawing, writing, imagery, or other forms of expressive arts to explore what’s happening. You don’t need to think of yourself as creative to try any of these.
We can also explore what it means to inhabit your body. For me, an important part of this work is helping you discover what brings a sense of safety, comfort, or steadiness. That might begin with noticing the support beneath you, connecting with something comforting in your surroundings, or recognizing a small moment of ease. We can gradually build on those experiences, respecting what feels possible for you.
Self-compassion is part of everything I share. We can explore what it might be like to respond to yourself with kindness when you’re hurting, feeling ashamed, overwhelmed, or frustrated with your body.
I bring together mindfulness, somatic practices, expressive arts, and the many things I’ve learned through my training and personal experience. What we explore will depend on you, your needs, and what feels helpful.
My hope is that through this work, you’ll begin to discover what coming home to yourself means for you, in your own way and at your own pace.