Hi there, I’m Lisa Coppola. I also go by “LC”
I am a therapist, writer and educator.
Since 2012 I have been helping people get a grasp on their footing as they find themselves thrown into strange, and often shocking, new territory. They show up in my office as:
A person who is going through the shock and surprise of uncovering a family secret, often through an unexpected dna discovery
An adult adoptee who is walking through their first months or years of addiction recovery
A parent or partner who is ready to learn about addiction, and how to help their loved one
A person who is in any process of search and reunion with a long lost family member
An adoptive parent who is struggling to understand what is going on with their adult child
As an existentialist at heart, I believe that transformational healing begins to take place with a willingness to become aware of our truths, our fears, and our grief. I would not be as effective in doing this line of work with others if I were not familiar with the ground myself. I am a domestic adoptee, through the department of children and family services (DCF). I’ve been through the process of search and reunion with my own biological family. The process was long, difficult and had many complex surprises along the way. I am a person in long-term recovery (14+ years) from Substance Use Disorder, and I’ve also been through the hell of having watched loved ones suffer through the erosion of addiction. Throughout these difficult journeys I have found lessons that have led me to some enlightening perspective shifts as well as an abundance of beautiful connections.
You can check out some of my articles and community involvement here on the Resource and Media Page!
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I spent the first half of my counseling career facilitating programs for dual diagnosis treatment throughout Massachusetts, working with individuals and their family members . So many clients in those treatment programs were adopted or had spent time in foster care, it was very clear to me that there was a major link between early attachment disruption and addiction.
Through Boston Post Adoption Resources (BPAR) I created and directed the Voices Unheard Storytelling Program for Adult Adoptees, and produced, for five years, the Voices Unheard: Real Adoptee Stories forum, a live speakers event in Cambridge, MA. Alongside these endeavors, I also hosted a video series called “Adoptees in 3: Connecting through Mind, Heart and Action.”
I have conducted trainings, and continue to do so, both nationally and internationally for addiction recovery programs, dual diagnosis treatment centers and group psychotherapy practices.
I am a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC #10015) in the state of Massachusetts and a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Maine (LCPC#CC7693). I hold a Masters degree of Education in Counseling Psychology with an Addiction concentration from Cambridge College and a Bachelor's degree in Human Services from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.
I have additional trainings in:
Narrative therapy, Re-Authoring Interventions and Rich Story Development
Right to Know Trainings completed in: Search and Reunion, Ethical and Psychological Impacts of MPE, Grief and Loss of MPE’s, MPE’s and Identity Interventions
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD
Treatment of Problem Gambling
Motivational Interviewing
Stage of Change Model for Addictions
IDDT (Integrated Dual Diagnosis Treatment)
Working with the Pain of Abandonment: A training facilitated by the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine.
I am actively engaged in lifelong learning and in unlearning, and I will continue to work towards developing awareness of how power and privilege affect the way others navigate and experience the world.