Lise Klerekoper is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her BS & BA from Shepherd University, & her MSW from The University of Maryland. She has been licensed in the state of Virginia since 1992, practicing in a variety of settings; particularly health care. Lise has extensive experience working w/ grief/loss/life transitions, mood disorders, substance abuse, codependency, ADHD; LGBTQ+ issues, particularly gender dysphoria in teens & adults, & chronic pain & other medical conditions.

Lise believes in a positive approach; helping clients to see their strengths, instill hope, & provide a safe place where healing & learning can take place. By nature, all individuals possess strength & resiliency & have the desire to live healthy & productive lives, but at times, we all face the challenges of unexpected life events, loss, & added stressors. A positive, validating, & accepting relationship with a therapist can be an invaluable opportunity to focus on developing insight & awareness into past & present issues & learning new skills. For most clients, understanding past experiences will guide them to revelations within their current situation. In addition, identifying negative self-perceptions can help improve personal growth.

Lise sees teens & adults in individual therapy, though includes partners & families in the counseling process on an adjunct basis as part of treating the whole person. A variety of treatment modalities may be utilized, depending on the unique needs of the client. These include relational, family systems, CBT, DBT, & solution focused approaches.

At the initial visit, Lise’s goal is to establish rapport with the client & discover how problems are identified & what brought the client to seek therapy at this time. Lise strives to meet the client where they are; to determine goals & expectations & then set a preliminary framework for future sessions. Therapeutic techniques can be adapted to short or long-term goals, depending on the needs & interests of the client.

Lise has particular interest & expertise in working with the LGBTQ+ community & their families, & has worked with this population her entire career. Lise has worked with teens & adults with gender dysphoria for the last 13 years & regularly collaborates with physicians & other health professionals who provide gender affirming care. Lise also assesses surgical readiness for her established clients & can provide formalized evaluations related to surgical readiness.

Lise also has extensive experience & expertise working with substance use & co-occurring disorders, as well as assisting clients & families in moving forward on a path of recovery. She can provide comprehensive substance abuse assessments for individuals facing academic, employment, or legal consequences for substance related offenses & is a certified addictions counselor.

Lise also has a unique understanding & expertise as to how ADHD affects clients & how to develop paths to overall improved functioning. Her approach with this client population is usually a combination of therapy & coaching. She also can assist ADHD clients in getting academic or employment-related accommodations approved.

Lise believes that all people are not only capable of making positive life changes, but can sustain that change with positive support, internal motivation & utilization of tools learned in therapy.