MY STORY

I am a trauma therapist, writer, retreat guide, and an “experiencer”. I was born in Austin, Texas where I lived and worked as a licensed trauma therapist until the fall of 2022 when I moved to Montezuma, Costa Rica following the tragic death of my 17 year old son, Spencer.

I became a therapist after going through my own challenge of spontaneous traumatic memory recovery which began when I was 35 years old in 2008. These memories were accompanied by paranormal experiences which both helped and harmed me at the time. I continue to experience new memories to this day, and have learned how to live cooperatively with the phenomenon. In 2011, I went back to school to pursue a Masters in Counseling and have worked as a trauma therapist in private practice since 2015. I found my niche in supporting people like me who have “non-ordinary” experiences like voices, visions, telepathy, and lucid dreaming, among others. Over time, my professional knowledge expanded to include abuse survivors and folks in recovery from pathological family dynamics as well as supporting those who are neurodivergent and struggle to fit into mainstream culture. Grief work, bereavement and parenting have also been natural and consistent themes in my work as a trauma therapist.

In 2024 I expanded my professional life into writing, a lifelong dream. I writes articles on Substack to give voice, clarity and hope to those living through various challenges. I am currently working on the second draft of my memoir documenting the time period where my abuse memories first returned. I am also co-facilitating 2 retreats in Costa Rica in 2027! See retreat page for details.

Therapy Contigo is a nod to my favorite Spanish word, contigo, which means “with you” and symbolizes my enduring connection to Spencer, my son living in Spirit. The literal translation of Therapy Contigo means "Therapy With You”.

The ceiba tree in the photo above is located in my neighborhood in Costa Rica and means “Tree of Life”. Indigenous cultures revered the ceiba tree for its roots (underworld), trunk (earth) and branches (bridge to heavens). Therapy Contigo is a representation of the Tree of Life and includes honoring and examining each level of existence.

By gently looking into what we are the most ashamed of within ourselves is where we will find our greatest gifts.

Additional Information

  • Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher
  • Member of International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD)
  • Founding contributor of the Grof Foundation
  • Listed on the Spiritual Emergence Network, as a provider of transpersonal therapy services
  • Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator
  • Reiki Master Teacher
  • Bereavement therapist at Hospice Austin
  • M.A. from St. Edward's University, 2014 ~ Counseling
  • B.S. from Texas Christian University, 1995 ~  Special Education

Lisa Wheeler

In 2027, Lisa will be hosting two retreats in Montezuma, Costa Rica with plans for additional retreats in Costa Rica and Texas.

512.879.8320 or via Email

Lisa offers a free 15 minute phone consultation.

verified by Psychology Today

I had the privilege of meeting Lisa at Hospice Austin after the loss of my mother and worked with her for around seven years after. I continued working on my personal growth in my marriage when my wife needed an organ transplant. I’m forever grateful for the time Lisa has invested in me, always patient and a wonderful sense of humor.
Thank you Lisa, you’ve change my life for the better!
— MC

Trauma-based dissociation is a struggle in and of itself, but my biggest struggle was finding a therapist who understood my issues while respecting the authority I hold over myself. Then I found Lisa. Every session with her leaves me feeling respected, safe, seen, and healthier. I couldn't be more grateful for her perspective.
— AM


Luckily we were able to have both family and individual sessions with Lisa to help our family through a critical transition period in all of our lives.  Our daughter needed someone other than her parents to talk through the challenges and changes that she was going through at that time and Lisa was someone that she immediately trusted.  We are eternally grateful to Lisa and all the help she was able to give us.

— TH

 

I am so blessed to have met Lisa Wheeler.  My family saw Mrs. Wheeler for a few years during a critical time in our lives. She was able to open up communications between us and we learned so much from the great insight she provided. She had all the knowledge and tools to get us on a better and happier course of life.

— AW

 

I found my way to working with Lisa while in the midst of a spiritual crisis. Lisa provided an open and nonjudgemental space for me to understand what I was experiencing. She came to every session full of love, compassion and understanding. Lisa had the best book recommendations and always seemed to know just when I was ready to take a deeper dive into an area of my past. The time I spent working with Lisa changed the trajectory of my life and helped open me to living more open-hearted and authentically. Not only do I continue to benefit from the work Lisa and I did together but my family does too. My children were very young when I was in spiritual crisis and I often questioned why I was experiencing all I was but I now know that everything I discovered and learned during this time has led me to be the person and parent I am today. I am full of gratitude for finding Lisa and the time she and I spent learning and growing together.

— MS

We are very happy with Lisa being our child's therapist. Thoughtful, caring and creative in solutions. Our child loves Lisa as a therapist.
Even online appointments are very meaningful.

— YK


Lisa Wheeler has many gifts with one being her spiritual connection, which is a rare talent. Her knowledge and understanding of the spirit realm helped my daughter immensely. Rather than feeling scared and confused at the voices and visions my daughter was experiencing, Lisa let her know that it is a gift and she taught her how to effectively understand it and handle it. We will be forever grateful to Lisa.

— LC

 

Lisa’s greatest value as a therapist is her willingness and ability to work for not just recognition of issues, but resolution of them. This is especially valuable in family therapy.  Some problems are beyond the ability of one person to resolve, and in those instances, Lisa is excellent at teaching coping skills.
— JM

My ten year old daughter and I have been working with Lisa for about 5 months now and I couldn't be more happy with how things have gone. My daughter suffers from high anxiety and every single time my daughter leaves her sessions with Lisa, she is able to breath and the anxiety seems to dissipate a little more each visit. It warms my heart that my daughter looks forward to her weekly sessions with Lisa.
Lisa is available for both my daughter and I outside our appointment times. If I ever have questions or concerns she responds in a timely manner and always with a gentle approach. It is obvious that Lisa has a passion to help others. Her energy shines so bright!
Lisa has changed our lives and how we deal with the difficult things day to day. She truly has been the best resource and kind hearted individual to walk into my daughters life and this is exactly what was needed. My daughter feels safe and worries less. Now I can worry less knowing that my daughters emotions are being dealt with in the best possible way.
— JN

Lisa, is a very compassionate and dedicated therapist. She has consistently supported our daughter whenever she needed help. Their strong bond, built on trust, was especially valuable considering how challenging it can be for a teenager to connect with a therapist. We are grateful for her presence during our family's tough times.

— KD

I had never worked with a therapist before and Lisa put me at ease right away. She was so personable and easy to talk to, I felt like I was talking with a girlfriend I've known forever. She helped give me insight into some of my past patterns and ways I can work on breaking those patterns as well as celebrated my moments of growth. I have loved working with Lisa.

— CE

I went to see Lisa after having an intense meditative experience in which my crown chakra opened too much too quickly.  I became bombarded with energy that was too massive to handle, and it almost completely consumed me.  I lost touch with reality and became immersed in a spiritual crisis.  After this, I stopped meditating.  I went to see Lisa for some counsel, and I’m so glad I did!  I immediately felt comfortable telling her my whole story.  She listened openly without judgement, and was so empathetic towards me.  She provided some very useful advice on what I could implement at home to clear my space and my energy, and through subsequent sessions, she and I dissected the spiritual crisis and delved deeper into my limiting beliefs that possibly lead to it.  I gained so much more awareness about myself and my inner being and returned to meditation knowing I could do it safely.  Now that I have awareness, I meditate without fear, am more confident in my practice, and am filled with love and gratitude.  I am beyond grateful to her for helping me through such a rough time.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

– SJ 

 

I started seeing Lisa before and during the pandemic. I have been carrying around childhood and adult trauma for years. Many of us have normalized our reactions and feelings. Lisa was referred to me by a friend and it was the best gift one person could give to another. Lisa's style is gentle and caring. She listens attentively, and will pick up on even the most casual comments, often saying, "let's talk about that".  Our sessions were my sacred time. I left feeling lighter and encouraged.  I would recommend Lisa to any and everyone.  Some people are embarrassed to admit they have a therapist.  I was proud and would tell anyone who would listen. My only regret is I waited to long to start this.

—MH