Lisa Van Der Merwe, LCSW- Licensed Psychotherapist/Counselor
Welcome to my counseling practice. 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 and clinical program development positions at Cigna. Since 2011 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 am married and have two teenage children. Originally I’m from Baltimore, and for the past 16 years Alpharetta has been my home.
I feel honored that my clients have entrusted me to support and guide them, and I never fail to be inspired by what I see them achieve. 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