ONLINE THERAPY AVAILABLE. NOW OFFERING EMDR TREATMENT.
Hello, and welcome to Open Path.
I am a Telehealth provider offering safe, convenient and affordable therapy.
Things will never be the same. All things arise, all things change, all things get better, all things fall away. Are you struggling with the way the world is unfolding?
If so, you are in the right place. For more than 30 years I have been helping people improve their health and overall wellbeing. With a goal to reduce suffering in the world, I am passionate about helping my clients feel better physically, mentally and emotionally so that their improved health and happiness strengthens their lives and creates a beautiful, ongoing ripple effect in the world. I provide evidence based integrative tools and practices that enhance the way we live and encourage openness, kindness, curiosity and self-compassion above all else. Through employing Eye Movement Desensitizing and Reprocessing (EMDR), mindful whole foods eating, psychotherapy, stress management, somatic (body-based) practices and yoga, meditation and proven psychotherapeutic techniques, I treat each client individually and holistically. Together, we work toward developing the long-term supportive habits, personal insights, motivation, resiliency and self-compassion that support sustainable whole-body health and optimal living.
My Personal Experience
I know both personally and professionally the demands, stress, challenges, confusion and misinformation that we face everyday while trying to manage careers, relationships, mental and emotional wellbeing, diet and physical health. So many of us struggle with weight problems, eating and health issues, depression, anxiety, trauma and heightened stress in an increasingly busier and more disconcerting and contradictory world. With mixed and ever-changing messages concerning diet and mental health, it’s no wonder that millions of people feel lost, overwhelmed and increasingly confused.
I have long worked with the connection between wellness, food, physical, emotional, and mental health. In graduate studies, seeing the intrinsic connection between food, mood, behavior and physical health, I earned a MS in Clinical Nutrition and Clinical Health Psychotherapy and became a Licensed Professional Counselor (AZ #20358) and a Whole Foods Dietitian. I became a Certified Yoga Instructor and Yoga Therapist. I also pursued advanced training in Somatic Experiencing™, a way of working with the body and nervous system to understand more and more that everything is interconnected. In order to fully heal, everything—mind, body and spirit—needs to be explored and addressed. This background, experience and training led me into my private practice, Mindful BenefitsⓇ, the home of Lisa Schmidt Counseling, as well as a faculty position at Arizona State University’s School of Social work where I designed and taught courses for nearly 7 years in stress management and mindful eating.
A Holistic Approach To Healing
My overall goal is to help you understand that change is possible. And, with an integrated, individualized approach, it is possible to feel better and continue to feel good for the rest of your life. There is a direct relationship between food and mood, and whole foods, joyful exercise, mindfulness techniques, effective stress management strategies and an integration of psychotherapy and somatic therapy can dramatically shift how you experience the world and feel physically, mentally and emotionally. Everything I do is based in science, realistic and tailored to your unique personality, history, lifestyle, needs and personal goals. Despite what many weight loss, diet and other health-related programs out there say, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing, although I firmly believe that there is a healing path for everyone. It’s simply a matter of working holistically with a trusted guide and specialist to figure out what works specifically for you. If you are ready and willing to make realistic, informed changes—even if they are small at first—you can significantly and sustainably improve the trajectory of your life.
With decades of education, experience and advanced training and having worked with thousands of people over the years, I know that a holistic and integrative approach to health and healing is what works. Once you truly understand the mind-body connection and the correlation between food, mood and stress, how they all come together for you and what can be done to foster balance and ease, a sense of empowerment arises. With the insight, education, tools and practices and plans designed specifically for you, it becomes possible to make informed and thoughtful decisions; feel increasingly calm, centered and present in the moment; make more skillful choices around food; and feel more alive, aware and comfortable within your body.
Although I am passionate about working with my clients, I also understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance, as well as engaging in joyful exercise and self-care. Outside of the office, I love to walk and hike with my husband and our two gorgeous dogs, Dolly and Layla. I’m also an avid runner and am currently training for another half marathon. I travel, and especially love visiting my son in Minneapolis, as well as attending trainings in psychotherapy, yoga and meditation retreats. I also am highly passionate about being of service and believe that giving back is an essential part of living a whole and happy life. I serve as a matchmaker between people and dogs through the Arizona Humane Society; volunteer for companion animal and animal protection causes; and provide pro-bono services at the Franciscian Renewal Center in Paradise Valley as a member of the Counseling Team.
I hope you will contact me through Open Path today! I can’t wait to meet you!
Lisa Schmidt, MS, LPC, CN, CEBS, CYT, SEP™ earned an MS in Clinical Health Psychology and an MS in Nutrition from Bastyr University. Lisa is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC Arizona #20358),a EMDIRA approved EMDR provider, a certified Whole Foods Dietitian Nutritionist (CN), a certified Yoga Instructor (CYT), Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner (SEP) and certified Provider in Compassionate Bereavement Care (CBC). Lisa created and taught her own course on sustainable and healthful eating at Arizona State University from 2013-2019. Affiliations include Arizona State University and Doane University. Lisa’s work on mindfulness, nutrition and stress management has been published in various scientific journals, and she speaks internationally on topics ranging from Mindfulness and Self-Care to Building Mindful Food Relationships. Special expertise in treating trauma, eating disorders, PTSD, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and anxiety/depression with an EMDR Mind Body focus.
Lisa is a member of multiple health and wellness organizations, including National Wellness Institute, Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics, Foundation for Human Enrichment, National Counseling Association, the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Yoga Alliance, American College of Lifestyle Medicine, The Center for Mindful Eating, and American Association for Sustainability in Higher Education. Lisa is also an avid volunteer, believing that being of service is one of the best ways to live a full and fulfilled life.