We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Gold. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.

Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents, both successful business owners, instilled in me the value of hard work from a very young age, and it has shaped every aspect of my life and career. Their unwavering commitment to their businesses demonstrated to me that success doesn’t come without putting in the effort. I vividly remember my first job at the age of 12 as a babysitter. While other kids were enjoying their free time, I was taking care of younger children, earning money, and learning the responsibility that comes with a job. My parents always encouraged me to save and grow my earnings, teaching me early on the importance of financial literacy and discipline.

But more than just showing me how to work hard, my parents helped me develop something even more invaluable—intrinsic motivation. I recall a time when I received a grade lower than I wanted on an exam. I was upset, frustrated, and disappointed in myself. But my parents didn’t focus on the grade. Instead, they asked me a simple question: “Did you try your best?” For them, that was the marker for success—not the letter on the paper. Their perspective taught me that the effort, the commitment, and the intention behind my actions were more important than external validation. This mindset has carried over into every area of my life, allowing me to find satisfaction in the process and not just the outcome.

Additionally, my upbringing was profoundly influenced by my grandparents, who were Holocaust survivors. Their strength and resilience shaped my worldview in ways I didn’t fully understand until I got older. My grandmother, in particular, often told me, “Education is the one thing no one can take from you.” As a child survivor, she understood better than most the value of knowledge, and she passed this lesson down to me. Her words resonated deeply, fueling my passion for learning and motivating me to pursue a higher education. It was her influence that inspired me to earn my Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan (SSW at UMich), where I learned the power of using my education to help others.

Together, my parents and grandparents created a foundation of resilience, hard work, and the pursuit of knowledge that has guided me through both personal and professional challenges. The lessons they instilled in me have been invaluable and continue to shape the way I approach my life and career today.

Lisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m someone who has always been driven by a deep desire to help others, though it took me a little while to figure out exactly how that would manifest in my life and career. The pressure of being asked “What do you want to be for the rest of your life?” during college applications was initially intimidating. But, over time, I realized that what I truly wanted was to be in the business of helping people—whether that was through healing, supporting, or making a difference in someone’s life.
I started my journey at Michigan State University, initially pursuing a major in Kinesiology with hopes of becoming an occupational therapist to work with children with special needs. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that math and science were not my strengths. But as I explored other options, I discovered Human Development and Family Studies, and everything clicked. I found my true passion, which ultimately led me to the world of psychotherapy and the UMich School of Social Work, where I really began to flourish.
After completing my education, I worked in one of the highest acuity psychiatric hospitals in the Chicago area, helping adults detox and adolescent boys dealing with trauma and severe mental health. This was a formative experience that deepened my understanding of mental health. But, despite the rewarding nature of that work, I felt a strong pull toward private practice, where I could have a more direct and personal impact on my clients’ lives.
Today, I specialize in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, depression, and anxiety. These areas are deeply meaningful to me—both personally and professionally. As a third-generation Holocaust survivor, the intergenerational emotional and psychological effects of trauma have been a significant part of my family’s history. I’ve witnessed firsthand how trauma impacts mental health, and this perspective, combined with my clinical training, allows me to approach my work with deep empathy and understanding. It’s this combination of professional expertise and personal experience that makes the work I do so rewarding.
In addition to my psychotherapy practice, I’m also incredibly passionate about my work with the USC Shoah Foundation’s Next Generation Council. In 2021, I joined the Council to honor my grandparents’ legacy. Through the USC Shoah Foundation, I learned about Living Links, a partner program that helps combat antisemitism by sharing Holocaust survivors’ testimonies in schools. In the summer of 2023, I participated in their Speaker Training Program with the intention of using this experience to learn how to share my family’s story with my children. But what I didn’t expect was how profoundly it would change me. Speaking in schools and educating young people about antisemitism by sharing my grandmother’s story, has made me feel more connected to my roots and my family’s history than ever before. With misinformation and antisemitism at an all-time high, this work is more important than ever.
This experience led me to create an affiliate organization of Living Links, called 3GMichigan, to help spread this vital work in my community. Through 3GMichigan, I am committed to supporting third-generation Holocaust survivors and helping educate people about the dangers of antisemitism, while keeping the stories of those who survived through the Holocaust alive.
What sets me apart in my practice and in my advocacy work is my holistic approach to mental health, my passion for education, and my deep personal connection to the issues I focus on. My family’s legacy has shaped who I am, and I believe this has given me a unique perspective and empathy in both my therapy practice and my efforts to combat antisemitism. I want people to know that I am not just a therapist or an advocate—I am someone who truly cares about helping others heal, grow, and be understood. I am proud of the work I do and the impact it has on the lives of my clients, and I’m honored to be able to carry on my family’s legacy through initiatives like 3GMichigan.
At the end of the day, what drives me is the belief that we all have the ability to heal and grow, and I’m here to walk alongside my clients and community members on that journey. Whether it’s through psychotherapy or advocacy, I’m passionate about helping people find their path to strength and resilience.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of the most effective strategies for growing my clientele came from advice I received early on in my career from a professor at UMich SSW. His number one piece of advice was simple but powerful: pick a specialty and stick with it. At the time, as a young grad student with limited life experience, that advice felt daunting and, honestly, a little impossible. I wasn’t sure what my specialty would be, and the thought of narrowing my focus seemed challenging when I felt like I was still figuring out who I was and what I had to offer as a therapist.

However, as I lived through my own experiences and struggles, and as I became more confident in myself, I started to lean into the areas I felt most connected to—emerging adults and perinatal clients. These were areas that deeply resonated with me, as I had personally faced challenges during those phases of life. As an emerging adult, I struggled with finding my path, dealing with the pressures of life transitions, and navigating my sense of identity. Later, as I became a parent, I experienced firsthand the complexities of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. These struggles became the foundation of my expertise.

Through these personal challenges, I learned how to help others navigate similar experiences. I could speak to them not only from a place of education but from a deep, authentic understanding of the emotional turmoil and confusion that often accompanies these stages of life. Once I became confident in this knowledge and in my own ability to help, things started to click. My clients naturally began to come to me for support, knowing I had the lived experience and the professional tools to guide them.

The key to growing my clientele has been finding my niche and confidently leaning into it. When you truly understand the needs of your target audience—because you’ve lived through those challenges yourself—the work feels more authentic, and it resonates with clients. They feel that connection, and it’s through that trust and relatability that the growth happens organically. I’ve learned that confidence, authenticity, and understanding your niche are crucial ingredients for success in growing a meaningful practice.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Other than training and knowledge, what I believe is most helpful for succeeding in my field is truly caring. It’s not just about having the right credentials or understanding the theories; it’s about doing the work yourself and continually evolving. As a therapist, the world around us is constantly changing, and so is the way we engage with it. We grow, we learn, and we challenge ourselves along the way. Success in this field requires us to not only apply our knowledge to others but to also engage in self-reflection and personal growth.

We must face our own biases and check our privilege regularly. It’s easy to think that we know what others are going through, but the truth is, we can never fully know. That’s why we need to humble ourselves to ask questions and truly listen to the experiences of others, instead of assuming we understand. It’s through these conversations, with both our clients and the world at large, that we grow.

The work we do with others cannot be separated from the work we do within ourselves. Being able to challenge our own perspectives, confront our blind spots, and remain open to new experiences is crucial in this field. Caring means being committed to not just offering support to others but also being in the trenches of personal growth ourselves. It’s this ongoing, reflective process that shapes us into better professionals and better people.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lisagoldlmsw.com
• Instagram: @3GMichigan @LiveandGrowCounseling
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/3G-Michigan/61565013042399/?_rdr
• Other: https://www.wearelivinglinks.org/