About Me

I understand the pressure to do it all - to show up for everyone while quietly wondering if it will ever feel like enough.

I became a Registered Clinical Counsellor because I kept seeing the same pattern: capable, caring people who were completely depleted, trying to hold everything together while quietly falling apart. Parents who loved their children deeply but felt like they were failing. Women who'd given so much of themselves away that they couldn't find themselves anymore.

I spent years working as an occupational therapist with children and families, supporting kids with autism, ADHD, sensory differences, and complex needs in schools and pediatric settings across New York City. I learned how nervous systems work, how regulation develops, and how children's behavior is always communication about something deeper.

But I also saw what happened to the parents. The invisible weight they carried. The constant mental load. The way their own nervous systems were stretched beyond capacity while everyone focused on helping their child

That's why my practice now focuses on supporting parents directly. Not because children don't need support, but because supporting parents is often the most effective way to support the entire family system. When you feel more regulated, resourced, and steady, your child feels it too.

I'm a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC #19648) with over a decade of training and experience in occupational therapy. My career has been devoted to working with children, youth, and families. My clinical training includes:

Occupational Therapy

- Master's degree in Occupational Therapy

- Extensive pediatric experience (ages 0-21)

- Early intervention, school-based services, and community practice

- Specialized training in sensory processing, motor development, and autism support

Clinical Counselling

- Registered Clinical Counsellor with BC College of Counsellors

- Certified ADHD Professional (ADHD Coaching Certification Institute)

- Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Training (Postpartum Support International)

- Autism Funding Unit (AFU) Approved Provider


Therapeutic Approach

- Trauma-informed, attachment-based

- Polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation

- Internal Family Systems (IFS)

- Neurodivergent-affirming lens

- Sensory-aware, body-based practices


This combination of occupational therapy and clinical counselling means I understand both child development and adult nervous system work deeply. When we work together, I can help you understand what's driving your child's behavior while also addressing your own capacity, regulation, and well-being.

Education:

  • Master of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy from NYU

  • Registered Clinical Counselor (RCC) #19648

  • Occupational Therapist (OTR/L)

Specialized Certifications & Training:

  • Certified ADHD Professional: Evidence-Based Strategies for Managing ADHD

  • Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy (PSI, 2023)

  • Sensory Integration Practitioner (Levels I & II)

  • Trauma Treatment Certification

  • DBT for Adolescents and Families

  • Zones of Regulation

  • Bringing Baby Home (Gottman Institute, 2024)

  • An Integrative Approach to Perinatal Health

  • Holistic Treatment of the Postpartum Body

Professional Memberships:

  • BC Association of Clinical Counselors (BCACC)

  • Postpartum Support International (PSI)

  • National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)

  • OT license in New York State and New Jersey

 Background & Training

A Bit More About Me

Lisa Brooks RCC Vancouver BC Trauma Therapist with children and dogs at the lake and mountains

I’m a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and clinically trained Occupational Therapist who began my career in the U.S. before moving to Vancouver in 2020 to be close to the ocean, the forests and the mountains.

My work in occupational therapy grounded me in the mind–body connection, deepening my understanding of how stress, emotion, and daily function are deeply intertwined. I saw that meaningful change often begins with small, sustainable steps that honor both our emotional and physical wellbeing.

When I moved to BC, I transitioned into counselling to focus more directly on the emotional side of this work, combining the holistic and solution-focused principles of OT with the depth, reflection, and relational warmth of psychotherapy.

Like many of the people I work with, I understand the pressure to do it all - to show up for everyone while quietly wondering if it will ever feel like enough. My own process of slowing down, re-examining old patterns, and learning to meet myself with more compassion deeply shapes the way I practice.

Today, my focus is on guiding parents navigating anxiety, burnout, and major life transitions to understand each other and their children better. My hope is to deepen empathy and compassion for the self and the people you love.

I hold a Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from NYU and I am part of the BCACC and a Registered Clinical Counsellor. When I am not working, you will often find me hanging out with my family, enjoying the beautiful outdoors or expressing my creative pursuits through cooking or visual arts. Like many of my clients, I’m continually learning to balance caring for others with caring for myself and I bring that same gentleness and realism into my work.

Lisa Brooks RCC Kids and Dog at the beach in Vancouver anxiety and burnout therapist

Therapy with me is collaborative, not prescriptive. I won't tell you what you "should" do or how you "should" feel. We'll work together to understand what's happening in your nervous system, your child's behavior, your family patterns, and your capacity.

I bring both clinical expertise and genuine care. I'll ask hard questions when needed and offer gentle validation when you need it. I'll help you see patterns you might not have noticed and trust yourself in ways you might have forgotten.


This work isn't about becoming a perfect parent or having a perfectly regulated nervous system. It's about understanding yourself and your family more deeply, building sustainable capacity, and showing up with more steadiness and less guilt.

Most therapists understand emotional overwhelm. I understand the sensory and nervous system side too.

As a Certified ADHD Professional and Occupational Therapist, I know how ADHD brains process information differently, how sensory systems get overloaded, and why executive functioning falls apart under stress. I understand that "just try harder" doesn't work when your nervous system is depleted.

My advanced training in perinatal mental health (PSI) means I understand the massive physiological shifts of pregnancy and postpartum - not just the emotional side, but the hormonal, neurological, and sensory changes that happen in your body and brain.

My sensory integration training (Levels I & II) means I can help you and your children understand sensory needs, identify triggers, and create regulation strategies that actually work.

You're not just getting a therapist who listens. You're getting someone who understands the neuroscience, the sensory processing, the attachment dynamics, and the regulation strategies that help ADHD brains and overwhelmed nervous systems.

What It's Like to Work With Me

Overwhelmed dad with kids bothering him while he tries to work - parent burnout

Who I Specialize In Supporting

  • Navigating child behavior challenges

  • Experiencing parent burnout or chronic depletion

  • Parenting neurodivergent or highly sensitive children
    Feeling stuck in survival mode

mom with baby on her lap stressed out
  • Pregnancy anxiety and birth trauma

  • Postpartum depression and adjustment

  • Identity shifts in new motherhood

  • Exhaustion that started in the perinatal period and never lifted

stressed out woman with adhd
  • Navigating ADHD while parenting

  • Burnout from chronic masking

  • Executive function overwhelm

  • Life transitions with ADHD

stressed out dad who is neurodivergent
  • Parents with ADHD, autism, or high sensitivity

  • Families navigating autism or ADHD diagnoses

  • Using AFU funding for parent support

I also work with individuals experiencing life transitions, relationship challenges, or nervous system dysregulation, but my primary focus and deepest expertise is in supporting parents and perinatal women.

Let's Talk About Whether We're a Good Fit

Hands forming a heart shape at sunset, symbolizing connection, compassion, and emotional support. Vancouver BC Therapy

If you're an ADHD woman running on empty, a parent drowning in overwhelm, or navigating the tender chaos of early motherhood, I'd love to talk.

Book a free 15-minute consultation call. We'll talk about what you're experiencing, and I'll let you know if I think I can help. No pressure, no commitment.

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