Meet Lisa
PSY.D, LLC
Clinical Psychologist, Wife, Mom of Twins, Dog Mom, Yoga Lover, Proud Philadelphian & Music Enthusiast
I’m Dr. Lisa Banister and I’m a clinical psychologist, wife, mom of twins, dog mom, yoga lover, proud Philadelphian and music enthusiast. I have been in private practice in Wayne, PA since 2007. I started my practice while I was working full time at the Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders in Radnor, PA. During that time, I was invited to interview to be part of a team of resilience trainers at the University of Pennsylvania to deliver trainings to the United States Army. I knew nothing about the military but I just had a feeling this could be something special. I accepted the invitation and embarked on a five day experiential interview that resulted in an offer. This was one of those unexpected pivotal moments in my life. I began to deepen my knowledge in resilience and mental toughness and spent time learning from and teaching thousands of our Army’s greatest leaders. The work I did with this organization changed me as a person and enhanced my skillset. I use adapted versions of these skills all of the time in my sessions with clients and feel passionate about sharing what prevents and treats mental health issues.
Authentic, Compassionate, Creative Thinker & A Little Bit of Humor
My formal training and education is in the psychodynamic psychotherapies (think: object relations, early attachment, family systems). I feel fortunate to have been exposed to these theoretical models through my graduate training and rely on my understanding of these orientations to help conceptualize and diagnose presenting problems. The truth, however, is that the style of these therapies do not fit my personality. I prefer to be active, collaborative and to use solution oriented approaches to deliver practical strategies to life’s problems. I promise to bring the best of myself to sessions and strive to be authentic, compassionate, to think creatively and to maybe even laugh a little.
Individualized Approach
Therapy can be challenging and painful at times. It requires a person to stretch outside of his/her comfort zone and to think about things differently. It requires curiosity, humility, vulnerability, flexibility, and openness. Therapy asks a lot of a person’s time, finances, and motivation. In return, therapy can be life changing. It can offer a new perspective and a deeper understanding of one’s whole self. It can connect dots to make sense of things that never quite added up and it can offer a safe place to explore and reflect. Therapy is not one size fits all and should be customized to each individual.