About Lisa Kleingarn, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist & Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist
We're in this together.
If you’ve never been in therapy before, you may not know what to expect. Therapy is a process, and it can take time to understand what’s happening and to begin to do something different.
If you’ve been in therapy before, you may notice that I ask a lot of questions. I’m curious about what happens when you get stuck—what you do, what you’re reacting to, and what may be happening emotionally underneath it. I often slow things down so we can pay attention to emotions that can be harder to recognize or put into words. I try to create a supportive space where we can be curious about what’s happening without judgment, and I work hard to understand each person’s experience—even when you see things very differently. My clients often describe me as warm, welcoming, direct, and funny.
Above all, I love the work that I do. I feel fortunate to spend my days having honest conversations with people about the things that matter most to them.
It's My Job to Hold Hope
My official title may be “relationship therapist,” but I think part of my job is to hold hope. People often come to therapy when they’ve been stuck for a long time and aren’t sure things can get better. I don’t know what the outcome of therapy will be, but I can hold onto the possibility that something can change—even when it’s hard for you to see that yourself.
You likely find yourself caught in the same patterns in your relationships and in your life. We’ll try to understand what keeps those patterns going, what happens emotionally when you get stuck, and what might help you respond differently. And we’ll do that with a healthy dose of humor when it helps.
How I Work
I believe people are more able to look honestly at themselves when they feel understood rather than judged. Feeling understood doesn’t mean I’ll always agree with you. When I think it may be helpful, I’ll challenge you to look at something differently or consider something you may not have considered before.
After more than half a century on the planet and years of talking with people about the things that are hardest to talk about, there is little that shocks me, and no topic is off-limits.
What Informs My Work
My professional training matters, but who I am as a therapist is also shaped by my own life experiences, including:
Divorce, remarriage, and life in a blended family that now includes grandchildren
Raising my two children, who are now young adults
Being an adoptee
Surviving cancer
Living abroad
Sharing my life (and furniture) with dogs
I’ve had my own share of difficult experiences. They’ve shaped who I am, how I understand people, and how I show up as a therapist.
A Little More About Me
I care deeply about social justice, racial and gender equity, and respecting the many different forms that families and relationships can take.
I seek humor in even the darkest of places.
I am an occasional rule-breaker.
I am in a long-term relationship with coffee and chocolate.
I’m very curious about my fellow humans and how they came to be who they are.
Credentials & Training
I have a master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and am licensed by the states of Minnesota and Iowa as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). I am certified by the International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) as a Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist.
I am a member of the Minnesota Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the Minnesota Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, and the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT).
My practice is LGBTQIA affirming.
Start With a Free Consultation
One of the most important factors in the success of counseling is the relationship you have with your therapist. That's why I offer a no-cost, 20-minute phone consultation so you can get a sense of me and how it might feel to work together.
Not ready to book a consultation? Please feel free to contact me with questions.