As part of our Therapist Spotlight Series, this week we present our OCD specialist in the Greensburg area, Lisa Glessner, LCSW. Without further ado…
Favorite part of working with OCD: Being able to provide clients and parents with hope! Often times, clients and families come to me feeling defeated after several failed attempts at different types of therapy. I absolutely LOVE hearing their excitement when they experience an exposure work successfully and realize that they are able to get their lives back! ERP gives clients empowerment – something that OCD has robbed them of throughout their lives.
Best success story: My favorite success stories are of the clients who start therapy with me feeling that they are unable to return to college or to work due to their obsessive thoughts or fear of panic attacks. I love being a part of their progress and helping them find solutions to find their inner strength against their thoughts and watching their ‘real selves’ reemerge. I equally love working with young children and their parents and seeing family members’ confidence build when they start implementing strategies they learn in therapy and see progress!
Describe your approach to working with clients: I have no trouble meeting clients where they are at, but also am direct enough to guide them where needed to feel relief from symptoms. I like to create a light atmosphere to facilitate courage to stand up to OCD. I’m fun and I can be weird. These are great ingredients for creative exposures to help deal with OCD and anxiety. I teach clients how to work with their OCD respectfully, but also learn how to step back and see these thoughts from a different, more enjoyable perspective. I help clients regain their ability to see joy in life, even with ‘bad thoughts’.
What I love most about the Pittsburgh area: Well, I live an hour east of Pittsburgh, which I love. I feel like my area is like a rural big city. I have the best of both worlds, convenience of shopping with the small town privacy of living in the country!