Our Team

Medical Director
Child and Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist
Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
George Washington University School of Medicine and Behavioral
Sciences

After attending one of Iran’s prestigious medical schools, I completed an adult psychiatry residency at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Later, I went on to complete a

Throughout my psychotherapy practice, I’ve mastered the practice of judiciously using psychiatric medications. Psychiatry has made exciting progress in the last decade and I’ve made a point to familiarize myself with the most up-to-date medications available. In my practice, I often integrate medication with psychotherapy to optimize patient healing. I have experience and a keen interest in treating anxiety, mood disorders, and eating disorders, and have found this integrative approach to be effective. Throughout my practice, I’ve also experienced firsthand the value of effective therapeutic relationships. Self determination, resilience, and meaningful relationships are consistently the key factors that foster human growth and healing.

As children, we often develop self defensive emotional and behavioral responses that continue into adulthood. While these behaviors may have been useful in childhood, they’re often no longer necessary or helpful throughout the rest of our lives. Exploring those feelings and behaviors is the first step to adapt our behaviors to fit our new environment.

People’s culture and ethnicity often play a role in their emotional disturbances. I’ve studied and learned about this overlap thanks to the cultural diversity I’ve experienced throughout my life.

In pursuit of this passion, I co-wrote the scholarly paper “The Treatment of Depression in Culturally Diverse Children and Adolescents”, which was later published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. I’m also involved with George Washington University’s Psychiatry Department’s Global Mental Health Project.

Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, ADHD and Sleep disorders

Lisa is a native of Northern Virginia whose lifelong curiosity about people, the body, and the mind led her to pursue a career in nursing in 2002. She believes that good healthcare begins with listening carefully and understanding each patient’s unique story.

She has worked in both primary care and mental health, providing comprehensive care to patients from diverse backgrounds and across all stages of life in Virginia and Washington, DC. Her experiences navigating the mental health system alongside both her patients and her own children inspired her to pursue additional training in psychiatry.

Lisa earned both her Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degrees from The George Washington University, as well as a second bachelor’s degree in nursing from George Mason University. She also enjoys teaching and mentoring, and has precepted dozens of nursing and medical students from George Washington, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Maryland.

Before entering healthcare, Lisa worked as an atmospheric scientist. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree in physical chemistry from UCLA, and completed PhD candidacy at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her scientific background continues to inform her thoughtful, evidence-based approach to care.

Lisa has particular clinical interests in depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and addiction. She incorporates traditional Beck cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and supportive therapy in her work. She especially enjoys supporting parents of children with mental health diagnoses and is an ally to the LGBTQ+ and autism communities.

Outside of work, Lisa enjoys cooking and traveling with the four generations of her family, including her husband, four grown children, and two rescue dogs.