Meet Lizeth Ma | CEO/ Clinical therapist and researcher senior faculty instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lizeth Ma and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lizeth, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
While in college, my mom faced some severe struggles that had her seeking mental health care. As a pre-med college student, I quickly realized navigating the system and seeking help was not only stigmatizing, it was demoralizing. All the clinics we went to were rundown, outdated, and not inviting at all. I knew I had to find the best help for my mom as me and my sister were helping take care of our youngest sibling. We wanted her to have the same mom we did and her depression impeded that. Shortly after navigating the mental health system, I changed my major to psychology. Upon graduation, I enrolled in graduate school and became a licensed clinician. My first job was with Kickstart, a clinic specializing in treating severe mental illnesses. It was the first place where I felt it was our mission to get our clients the best mental health treatment. My work there led to an invitation to join the PIER training institution, which is the model used at Kickstart. At the PIER training institute, I was the youngest faculty member and the youngest Spanish speaking female. Since 2015, I have been working with them. I travel across the United States connecting with social workers, therapists, counselors and psychiatrists, teaching them how to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I have also supervised up to 11 sites that use the model. Shortly after getting licensed, my dream was to create a practice where it would be easy to seek help and get the answers families and clients needed. I opened my first practice in La Jolla, California, in 2018 and another in Chula Vista in 2019. In 2022, we expanded to a larger space to help serve more individuals. People who come seeking services mention the office looks like a wellness clinic more than a therapy office and people love coming in. I have continued to stay in private practice to help individualize all treatments and make treatments unique and approachable. I screen all clients on my own and I continue to provide direct services. I like to call it concierge therapy, as my clients can reach me and not a voicemail system or an assistant. I want to bring back the human approach to treatment and end stigma with mental health care, one individual at a time.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a passionate clinical therapist who loves working with children, women, couples and families going through challenging times. Are you and your child having trouble communicating? Are you and your spouse having trouble communicating? Do you see them going through a hard time, long to help, but don’t know how? Do you have Bipolar Disorder? I am here for you. Do you feel undone by anxiety or depression and don’t know how to “shake it off”? Please call today. My number one goal is to help with the most comfortable and holistic approach possible. It’s OK, not to be OK. Together we can get there, one step at a time. I provide a space to hear about what the client wants and help them get there. As an experienced therapist, I’m here to share my expertise in getting you to a relationship with more happiness, less conflict and better communication with loved ones and, most importantly, you. I’m DBT and TF-CBT trained and certified. Please visit www.piertraining.com.
I firmly believe that the client- therapist relationship is the number one intervention a clinician can provide. I am the only Spanish speaking female trainer on staff for the PIER training institute. I supervise 5 sites in California that have adopted the PIER Model as a treatment modality. I’m currently the Owner of LMapsychotherpy and co-owner of Inhale Exhale by Ma and Shammas Psychotherapy Group .

What makes be stand apart is my unique approach to mental health and the environment I try to create all my clients who come seek treatment

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My life is always on go mode, so I don’t get to connect with friendships the way we used to back when times were simpler. A time before we got married, had kids and started the business of my dreams.

So with that said, I would use this as an opportunity for an old school best friend staycation. I would get us a local boutique hotel, like the Lafayette or the Pearl. Maybe a resort such as hotel del in Coronado or our absolute favorite Paradise Point. We would spend the week with a carefree mindset and plenty of our favorite bottle of champagne. We would have deep conversation by the hotel pool and talk to local
San Diegans as if we were from out of town. After a quick mid day nap, we are in our mid 30’s after all, we would get ready for a night. We would go to my favorite rooftop steakhouse at Born & Raised and laugh about things we did in our 20’s. This would set the tone for the rest of our epic week of San Diego beach days, kayaking alongside seals, and cabanas at some point. We would make it a point to make to brunch at Morning Glory or Cocina 35 for delicious Chilaquiles. We would likely cross
Over to Mexico for a visit to the Valle De Guadeloupe wineries and street tacos. I would treat us Julian apple pie after a beautiful hike in the Julian mountains.

The goal for the week would be to disconnect from everything, and reconnect with each other. Build new memories while we reminisced on the old.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout without a doubt goes to my husband. He has supported my vision from day one and has supported me emotionally, financially and physically throughout the whole process of not only developing my dream solo practice, but my group practice and continue to teach. I would also like to thank few of my mentors who have shaped the provider I am today. Big thanks to Dr. Bill MacFarlane and Maria Morgan LMFT for pushing me to become the best version of me.

Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lizeth-v-ma-chula-vista-ca/394221

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Image Credits
Jamie Brant