Lisa Vazquez

Hello, my name is Lisa Bartsch Vazquez, and I have been a licensed Marriage Family Therapist, and Art Therapist since 2009. My approach to therapy is creative, compassionate, and client-centered. I seek to help clients identify and understand their own strengths and motivational makeup to reach mutually agreed-upon goals of mental health and well-being. I offer coaching support and creative interventions, and I encourage feedback and two-way communication. This provider resides in Hawaii.

My approach

I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Art Therapy techniques to help my clients to gain insight, identify and work out areas for growth and move through stuck places.

My focus

I offer counseling for adult individuals dealing with issues of life transition, anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and self-esteem. I focus on helping individuals gain skills, and recover a sense of personal hope and faith to tackle life's challenges.

My communication style

I focus on providing a caring, listening environment of acceptance and encouragement in my sessions while working with my client to develop and move through achievable goals and exercises. I will ask questions, give encouragement for progress, and ask for feedback to make sure I am on track with my client's goals.

My journey to mental healthcare

I have always been interested in helping people improve the quality of their lives, and understanding "what makes them tick". My journey from Artist to Marriage Family Therapist/ Art Therapist over the past 20+ years has allowed me to apply the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" to help individuals grow and heal in my therapy work. I believe we are all created and creative beings in our own unique way, and there is much healing that comes from a better understanding of that. I enjoy helping to facilitate this better understanding of personal growth and healing.

My goals for you

In the first 1-3 sessions, we identify 1-3 goal areas and then develop measurable goals and preliminary intervention exercises. We will determine together what it will look like when each of the goals is met. As counseling proceeds, we will use self-ratings, and "temperature checks" to measure progress and make adjustments until the goals have been met.

My first session with you

In the first session, I ask my client what brought them to therapy and listen to their answers, ask clarifying questions, and take notes. I may ask them to choose/create some visual images to further illustrate their personal thoughts and concerns. (No fear, this has little to do with artistic ability, more as a cognitive insight tool, but many clients find they benefit from and enjoy it) I provide reflective listening to make sure I am understanding what their concerns are to give us ideas on how to proceed together in the therapeutic process.