Practice Values

My passion is helping couples repair their relationships. I’ve been a psychotherapist for 25 years and have worked with many populations but I find couple’s work to be most rewarding. I like the energy and the challenge of holding two differing points of view without judgment (and teaching couples to do the same).

These days, I only work with couples. All couples are welcome to my practice including engaged, married, straight, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender couples. I believe all relationships are cross-cultural in that we all bring unique backgrounds to our union. What I don’t know I’m open to learning from you.

I use evidence based methods because I believe too much of couples therapy has been based on someone’s opinion of what a good relationship looks like, rather than on what research with real couples tells us works. I often tell my clients they don’t need to go to “couple nirvana” to heal. Evidence based studies tell us there aren’t any perfect couples.

I enjoy debunking the common myth that conflict is a predictor of divorce. Conflict is normal in close relationships and not an index that something is wrong. In fact, disagreements are full of existential meaning and the opportunity to know one another better, but couples need to know how to make these conversations safe. My role as a couples’ therapist is to help couples approach conflict more gently, because that’s what happy couples in the research were doing.

The happy couples in the research, though not perfect, were more mindful about maintaining their friendship, managing their conflict, and continuing to build a sense of shared meaning in their lives.

Whether you coming in for a tune-up, enhancement or repair there are many ways that we can work together to strengthen your relationship. You might be surprised at how fast things turn around by making some small but significant changes.

The Gottman Method can be integrative and some other approaches that I blend into my work are; Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, Dan Wile’s Collaborative Couples Therapy and David Olsen’s Premarital (prepare/enrich).

Lisa Lund with the founders of The Gottman Institute, Drs. John & Julie Gottman

Work Summary

Lisa Lund, MFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist who firmly believes that couples can learn the skills needed to improve their relationship. She utilizes structured, research-based approaches that are designed to get results. Lisa is a Master Certified Gottman Counselor and Workshop Leader directly trained by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, and is an active member of The Gottman Institute Speaker Bureau. She is also trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) and Pre-Marital-Assessment (Prepare/Enrich). She is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist (California-LMFT #33393, North Carolina- LMFT #10193) with over 20 years of counseling experience.

Lisa Lund, MFT’s specialty is in helping couples improve their relationships.  In addition to working with couples privately, she teaches workshops and retreats to couples wanting to enhance or repair their relationships. Lisa also trains clinicians.  For information about current workshop offerings see the workshops page.

Prior to her work with couples, Lisa worked in the field of Rehabilitation Counseling. In the early 1990’s she was an employer representative with The Marriott Foundation Bridges Program. Through powerful and entertaining presentations and one to one coaching, Lisa helped demystify the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) for employers. She facilitated many job matches for people with disabilities. Since then, Lisa has continued to give presentations in the work environment, helping employers and managers improve their interpersonal dynamics and communication.

Lisa is an accomplished trainer and sought-after speaker, known for her energetic and entertaining presentations for both lay and professional audiences including corporate settings, universities, conferences and community agencies.

Lisa is active in community service. She has served as an executive board member for the Redwood Empire California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (RECAMFT), as well as on executive boards for Marin CAMFT and for The Matrix Program for people with disabilities.

Lisa is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a Masters in Science in Marriage and Family Counseling and in Rehabilitation Counseling (1992).

In 1996, Lisa became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California.

Lisa Lund MFT received from ICEEFT, Core Skills Training in EFT with Rebecca Jorgensen, PhD.

In 2005, she trained in EFT's Advanced Externship with the Institute's founder Sue Johnson.

In 2022, Lisa also became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in North Carolina.