Lisa McCarthy, MSW, LCSW

Lisa McCarthy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working with children, teens, and their families for the past 15 years. 

She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from The University of Colorado at Boulder (Go Buffs!) and a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from New York University. She spent 2 years, post-graduate school, completing 3000 additional supervised clinical hours to earn her LCSW.

Lisa has worked in a variety of different therapeutic settings. While attending graduate school at NYU, Lisa was chosen to work at one of the top ranked adolescent inpatient units in the country, The Payne Whitney Clinic at New York Presbyterian Hospital. There she worked with acutely ill adolescents struggling with major depression, suicidal ideation/attempts, self-harming behaviors, mood disorders, and many other psychological issues that required inpatient hospitalization. While attending NYU, she also worked at a middle & high school campus in the Bronx, New York providing counseling to at-risk teens.

From New York City, Lisa moved to Asheville, North Carolina and worked for Family Preservation Services; a community-based mental health program that served middle and high school students and their families. She provided individual, group, and family counseling to students who were referred by teachers and school counselors. While at FPS, she assisted the director is planning and developing a day treatment program for kids who needed a higher level of care.

Lisa and her husband moved to Dallas in 2010 and Lisa began working in the Birdville ISD counseling department, co-directing a program for pregnant and parenting teenagers. She did individual and group counseling with middle and high school students. During her 5 years at Birdville ISD she worked closely with the special education department within the school as well as with crisis counselors, school academic counselors, and many community organizations.

Lisa was a guest lecturer at TCU's Department of Social Work for several years presenting on topics such as School Social Work, Social Work Practice with Children, and Social Work with Groups and Families. She also supervised social work interns from TCU and Tarleton State University.

For 2 years Lisa was the Director of Teen Advocacy for a start up tech company called Skratch. The Skratch app connected teenagers to small "jobs" in their neighborhood (think dog walker, mother's helper, tech assistant, academic/sports tutor, etc...). 

While working at Skratch, Lisa found out that she was expecting twins (surprise!). She spent a few years at home with her daughters before starting Empower Growth Counseling.

Lisa utilizes a variety of different therapeutic modalities depending on the needs of her clients. Solution-focused, collaborative, and strengths-based counseling are her most frequently used types of therapy. She is also trained in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidenced-based approach that is highly effective with many mental health issues. Lisa is also trained in providing group therapy to kids and adolescents.

Texas State Board of Social Workers: License #53959  

Lisa is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the American Psychological Association (APA).

Lisa is married and has 3 daughters...a 7-year-old and 5-year-old identical twins. 

Her personal experience with infertility, and navigating the many challenges and experiences of being a parent, has led her to work with individuals and families dealing with similar situations. 

Lisa loves staying active, spending time with her family and friends, traveling back to her home state of beautiful Colorado, and watching an episode or two of mindless TV when she has a little bit of free time.