Lisa Van Der Merwe, LCSW- Licensed Psychotherapist/Counselor
Welcome to my counseling practice, and thank you for taking the time to learn more about me and how I can help you reach your goals. My career in mental health began 25 years ago in the Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Department where I counseled people effected by medical trauma, substance abuse, and psychiatric issues. I then went on to supervise an addiction treatment program and provided school-based counseling to children and teens. Later in my career I worked in behavioral managed care, where I served as Regional Vice President of Clinical Operations at UnitedHealthcare (OptumHealth) and held management positions at Cigna. For more than a decade I’ve maintained a full-time private practice in Alpharetta.
I received a Master of Clinical Social Work degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore (1997) and a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. I am licensed in the State of Georgia as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). I also hold professional certifications in the following: Intrinsic Coaching, Narcissistic Abuse Recovery, and Clinical Trauma.
On a more personal note, I’ve been married for over twenty years and have two children. One is in high school and the other college. Originally I’m from Baltimore, but for the past 17 years Alpharetta has been my home.
I feel honored that my clients have entrusted me to support and guide them. Please let me know how I can assist you!
The WIEBGE acronym stands for Will I Ever Be Good Enough? and signifies certification in Dr. Karyl McBride’s five-step recovery model for treating adult children of narcissistic parents.
Clinical Trauma Professional Training provided by IATP International Association of Trauma Professionals
