Lisa Panzarella, LPCC
Life can feel overwhelming, especially when you experience the world deeply, struggle with anxiety, or find yourself caught in patterns of overthinking, self-criticism, or putting others' needs before your own. Perhaps you feel disconnected from yourself, have difficulty trusting your emotions, or notice that past experiences continue to shape how you relate to yourself and others. Therapy offers a space to slow down, explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion, and begin reconnecting with your authentic self.
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) based in Paonia, Colorado, offering online therapy throughout the state. My approach is trauma-informed, holistic, and grounded in the understanding that our thoughts, emotions, bodies, and relationships are deeply interconnected. I specialize in working with complex trauma, attachment wounds, anxiety, and the lasting effects of difficult childhood and relational experiences.
My work draws primarily from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). IFS helps us understand the different parts of ourselves, including those that carry pain, shame, or fear, as well as the protective parts that may show up through perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-criticism, emotional withdrawal, or the need to stay in control. Rather than trying to eliminate these patterns, we approach them with curiosity and compassion, recognizing that they often developed as ways of navigating difficult experiences. EMDR offers another pathway for processing painful memories and experiences that may continue to influence how we feel, think, and respond in the present.
I bring over 20 years of experience supporting individuals' personal growth and emotional well-being through health and wellness coaching, higher education, hospitals, schools, mindfulness, and therapeutic settings. During my ten years at Naropa University, I deepened my appreciation for meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative approaches to understanding ourselves and our experiences. These influences continue to shape my therapeutic work, particularly my belief in the importance of slowing down, listening inward, and cultivating a compassionate awareness of our emotional and somatic experiences.
As someone who identifies as neurodivergent and highly sensitive (HSP), I also bring a personal appreciation for the challenges and strengths that come with experiencing the world differently or more intensely. I understand how easily we can become overwhelmed by external demands, internal expectations, and the pressure to fit into ways of being that may not feel natural or authentic.
At the heart of my work is the belief that healing isn't about fixing what is wrong with us. It's about understanding how we've learned to protect ourselves, tending to the parts of us that carry pain, and creating space for greater self-compassion, connection, and choice. My hope is to help you develop a more trusting relationship with yourself, where all parts of you can be met with curiosity, kindness, and understanding.
Types of Practice: Adults, Teens
Areas of Practice: Anxiety, Career Counseling, Coaching, Complex Trauma, Coping Skills, Depression, Emotional Disturbance, Existential Issues, Family Conflict, Grief, Life Transitions, Meditation & Mindfulness, Men's Issues, Relationship Issues, Self-Esteem, Spirituality, Stress, Substance Use, Women's Issues
Modalities and Views: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Contemplative, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR Basic Level 1 Certified, Emotionally Focused, Humanistic, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1 Certified, Mindfulness-Based, Person-Centered, Somatic, Trauma-Focused.
Insurances: All regions of Colorado Medicaid, Aetna, Cigna, United, Kaiser, Beacon, Anthem BCBS, and private pay.