About Us
Dr. Lisa Leavitt, PhD
I was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and lived there until the age of 3 when my parents moved our family to London, England where I spent my childhood and where I called home for many years. As an adult, I have lived in Canada and England, finally settling in Utah 28 years ago. I am what I call a ‘tri-citizen’, as while I love Utah I still have strong connections to both Canada and England.
I came to the field of psychology later in life after having been a hairstylist for many years. I have always had a passion for helping people and an interest in why they think the way they do, and why they do what they do. I have also always been fascinated by the resilience and strength exhibited by so many in the face of seeming insurmountable challenges. When it came time to go back to university, psychology seemed like a natural fit. After getting my BS in Human development at the University of Utah and my masters in school counseling from BYU, I eventually got my PhD in Counseling Psychology, also from BYU.
For the past 20 years I have worked at BYU in the mental health field. I spent 14 years working as a therapist in the counseling center helping students cope with various life challenges with an emphasis on crisis work and trauma recovery. For the past 6 years I have worked exclusively with BYU students who have experienced sexual trauma. In addition to my work at BYU I have had a private practice since 2005, specializing in working with children, women and trauma survivors.
Since learning about assessment in my Ph.D. program, I have appreciated the benefit it is to clients and the personalized insight and understanding it can provide in their mental health recovery process. I worked for three years with Intermountain Healthcare in the Weight Loss Management Clinic doing psychological assessments for patients considering weight loss surgery. I also frequently use assessment in my private practice with both adults and children.
For the past several months I have wanted to become more involved with doing psychological and learning assessments, so when the opportunity arose earlier this year (spring 2022), I started working with Dr. Allred and the Excel Psychology team. I have loved the experience so far and particularly love the small part I get to play in helping clients gain a better understanding of the way they function and the positive impact that information can have as they strive to make changes in their life.
When not at work you will find me in my craft-room creating something, reading, baking anything, but particularly bread (I am passionate about sourdough!) or watching a good British mystery on PBS. I also love to travel and spend time with my 6 sisters, 1 brother, and my 34 nieces and nephews!