Meet Your Anxiety and Depression Psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona
You may look capable and accomplished on the outside while feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or exhausted inside.
Maybe your mind rarely slows down. You replay conversations, anticipate what could go wrong, hold yourself to impossible standards, or keep pushing even when you are running on empty.
I help high-achieving adults understand what is keeping them stuck and create practical, meaningful change. Together, we can quiet the mental noise, ease emotional pressure, strengthen your confidence, and help you feel more present in the life you have worked so hard to build.
Warm, personalized therapy is available in Scottsdale and online throughout Arizona and Illinois.
You Do Not Have to Keep Carrying Everything Alone
You may be the person everyone depends on - the professional who performs, the parent who manages, the leader who solves problems, or the friend who appears strong. Yet beneath that competence, you may feel anxious, emotionally drained, uncertain, or increasingly unlike yourself.
You might be:
Overthinking decisions and second-guessing yourself
Struggling with anxiety, depression, perfectionism, or burnout
Feeling disconnected from your identity, relationships, or sense of purpose
Trying to cope with trauma, grief, loss, or a major life transition
Caught in patterns of avoidance, people-pleasing, shame, or self-criticism
Managing ADHD, emotional overwhelm, eating concerns, or body-image distress
Wondering why success has not brought the peace or fulfillment you expected
These struggles do not mean you are weak or failing. They often mean the ways you learned to survive, achieve, or protect yourself are no longer giving you the life you want. Therapy can give you a private, thoughtful place to understand those patterns and begin changing them.
What Can Change Through Therapy
Therapy with me is not about handing you generic advice or asking you to simply think more positively. We will look closely at what is happening, identify the patterns beneath it, and develop an approach that fits your personality, experiences, goals, and real life.
Our work may help you:
Calm racing thoughts and respond to stress with greater steadiness
Recognize triggers and change patterns that keep repeating
Set healthier boundaries without being consumed by guilt
Move through grief, change, or uncertainty with support and direction
Process painful experiences without allowing the past to control the present
Build self-trust, self-respect, and a more compassionate inner voice
Feel more connected, purposeful, and emotionally present
Make decisions that reflect who you are now - not who you were expected to be
The goal is not to turn you into someone else. It is to help you feel more grounded, more empowered, and more at home in your own life.
A Therapy Style That Is Warm Direct and Personal in Scottsdale, Arizona
I believe effective therapy should feel both compassionate and useful. You deserve to feel genuinely heard, but you also deserve a therapist who will help you notice what you may not be able to see on your own.
My style is warm, collaborative, honest, and practical. I bring deep clinical experience, curiosity, humor when it fits, and a willingness to have the conversations that create real movement. We will work together at a pace that feels safe while remaining focused on the changes that matter to you.
I draw from evidence-based approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness, and person-centered care. I tailor these methods to you rather than forcing you into a one-size-fits-all formula.
Why I Do This Work
I have spent more than 25 years helping people navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, identity changes, loss, and seasons of profound transition. Again and again, I have seen that people are capable of meaningful change when they feel understood, respected, and supported with the right tools.
I founded Empower You Experts because I wanted therapy to place the power back where it belongs: in your hands. My role is not to tell you how to live. It is to help you understand yourself more clearly, make intentional choices, and build a life that feels authentic and sustainable.
As Founder and CEO, I have shaped the practice around personalized care, open communication, and the belief that therapy should honor the whole person - not reduce someone to a diagnosis.
Experience You Can Trust in Scottsdale, Arizona
My clinical career began in 1999 in a inpatient mental health hospital and has included private practice, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters. I have served as a therapist, psychologist, professor, former clinical supervisor and co-director of training, and board-certified telemental health provider. Working with people from many backgrounds and through many kinds of hardship has strengthened both my clinical judgment and my respect for each person's individual story.
I opened my private practice in 2006 as Lisa Lavella and Associates. In 2018, the practice became Empower You Experts - a name that reflects the purpose of this work: helping you recognize your strengths, make informed choices, and reclaim a greater sense of agency.
Education Credentials and Professional Background
Credentials matter, but the relationship you have with your therapist matters too. My training informs our work; your needs, values, goals, and lived experience guide it.
Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology, Adler University, Chicago, 2004, summa cum laude
Licensed psychologist in Arizona and Illinois
Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider
Former Adler University professor in group therapy, ethics, and clinical assessment
Former clinical supervisor and co-director of training
Member of the American Psychological Association
Beyond the Therapy Room
Outside of work, I enjoy Arizona sunshine, biking, walking, yoga, swimming, cooking, art, and interior design. I appreciate beauty, color, movement, and the small everyday choices that help life feel more balanced and alive. I also understand that growth is not always serious or linear. Sometimes healing includes laughter, creativity, rest, and making room to enjoy your life again.
Your Scottsdale Therapy Practice
From our office in North Scottsdale, we serve clients throughout Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Cave Creek, Carefree, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Chandler, and Queen Creek — with secure online sessions available statewide across Arizona, Illinois, and Indiana.
Scottsdale
North Scottsdale
Paradise Valley
Phoenix
Cave Creek
Carefree
Fountain Hills
Gilbert
Chandler
Queen Creek
You Deserve Support That Fits Your Life
You do not need to wait until everything falls apart to ask for help. If you are tired of overthinking, performing, avoiding, or carrying difficult emotions by yourself, therapy can help you understand what is happening and begin moving forward with greater clarity.
I provide therapy for adults in Scottsdale and online throughout Arizona and Illinois. If you are ready to explore whether we may be a good fit, I invite you to take the next step.