Hi! I'm Lise Leblanc

I’ve always wondered why some people are anxious and depressed while others are happy and at peace. Why certain conditions create extreme resilience in one person while breaking another down. Why some have good mental health and others don't, even if they are facing similar stressors?  Or why some people go through toxic relationship after toxic relationship while others experience healthy loving connections.

I was interested in these things mainly because I'd struggled with my own mental health and romantic relationships as far back as I could remember. 

Problems early in life.

I won’t get too deep into my childhood trauma, but I will say that by the time I was nineteen, my life was a total mess. I was anxious, depressed, I had an eating disorder, and I was two years into an abusive relationship with a malignant narcissist. I was seriously considering suicide because I had no hope that things would ever get better.

My first turning point.

One night, in a moment of intense suffering, I was laying in bed, thinking about all of my problems when suddenly I had an out-of-body experience. In this moment, I separated from my "self" and all of my problems floated off into the distance. From this detached state, it was as though none of it was real. In this flash of insight, I got a glimpse of how it felt to be free from the heavy burden of the disempowering thoughts and “stories” I had about myself and about the world. I immediately started to question whether my problems were real, or whether they were just in my mind. I started asking myself what would happen if I could detach from the mental and emotional suffering that was holding me hostage. 

Once I had this a-ha moment, I instantly pulled myself together and lived happily ever after.

Just kidding! It wasn’t that easy. Not even close.

My search for happiness.

Two days after my "a-ha moment" I ended the abusive relationship and moved back home. I started cleaning up my act, but despite my new insight, I really had no idea how to be happy or at peace.  So, what I did was I tried to block out my troubled past and I tried to find happiness in the things society promised would bring happiness. At the time, I truly thought I’d be happy once I found a good man, had kids, got a higher education, a great career, a big house, cars, clothes, had more money, lost 10 pounds, you name it. I kept trying to prove my worth by piling on external forms of validation but no matter what possessions or accomplishments I accumulated, I found that happiness and inner peace did not follow, at least not for long. Like a mirage in the desert, every time I got “there”, it was gone.

I was "successful".

By the time I was thirty, I was married with two beautiful children. I had a master’s degree and was the director of a mental health and addictions clinic. From the outside, I appeared happy and successful. Yet, on the inside, I still felt  alone, anxious, and like something was missing. 

The perfect storm.

I was so caught up in the rat race, trying to prove my worth that I didn't recognize I was in a downward spiral. I was mentally and emotionally exhausted and I couldn't get a handle on things. I knew what I "should" do to recover my mental health, but I didn't have the energy or desire to deal with the emotional "stuff" I'd been carrying since childhood. I still thought I could avoid it. Block it all out. I didn’t want to start digging up and dealing with my childhood trauma. I just wanted the quick fix solutions. So, I ate more spinach, did yoga, went to the gym, and made appointments for massages. I tried to do more "self-care",  but it turned out to be more things to do. More appointments and more obligations. Don’t get me wrong, these are all great strategies, but in my case, they weren't even scratching the surface of the issues I was carrying.  So, I continued to get more stressed, more exhausted, and more burnt out until I hit ROCK BOTTOM, and that’s when I FINALLY came to realize that I couldn’t run or hide from my past any longer. 

I made the decision to heal myself.

Almost twenty years ago, I decided to heal my life. I honestly didn’t know if it was possible, but I was desperate for change. My healing process started with a decision and a commitment to start taking the steps I needed to take to heal myself mentally and emotionally. And I was on a MISSION! I dove into self-development like it was an addiction. I read all the self-help books I could get my hands on, took courses, went to conferences, traveled to energy centers, did counselling, hypnosis and more drastic things like ayahuasca and san pedro ceremonies. I hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and climbed mountains, all in search of healing and peace within myself.

The good news is, I found it... it took a few years of dedicated effort, but as I healed my nervous system and learned to harness the power of my mind and emotions, some interesting things started to happen. As layers of self-depreciating, self-sabotaging, and self-destructive beliefs were removed, I started to experience genuine peace, freedom, and happiness. My inner world started to look and feel really good. 

The Real Problem

For the first 30 years of my life, I suffered with anxiety, depression, and problems with my self-worth and confidence. But, there's only so many times you can ask: "Why is this always happening to me?" before you start to realize that there is something in YOU that's creating (or co-creating) the recurring problems you're experiencing. in my case, I learned that my beliefs and behaviour patterns were blocking me from living a life of peace, passion, and purpose.

Facing all of the painful experiences from my past was hard, but even harder was realizing that I had been projecting all of my past pain into my current day "reality". For the longest time, I truly thought I had nothing to do with my problems. I thought they were all just happening TO me. But, when I took responsibility for what was showing up in my life and recognized where it was coming from, I was empowered to make the positive shifts I needed to make inside of ME to make MY life different. 

I know what it's like to look like a powerful and successful woman on the outside and yet feel insecure, needy, and scared on the inside. I know what it's like to feel anxious, depressed, lost, empty, alone, and to hide it from everyone. And it wasn't just me.... people around me struggling too. Not just my clients. I’m talking about my friends, family, and the people I worked with. Like me, many of them were helping professionals with all of the markers of a successful life. They were married with kids, they had good jobs, big houses, nice vehicles, and so on. Yet we were all rushing around, stressed out, striving, caught up in the same destructive cycle of stress and toxicity within themselves and often in their relationships. We were all attributing our high stress levels to the boss, spouse, kids, finances, and whatever.  And it took a long time for me to realize that these things were not the real problem.

The real problem was my own mind!

When I realized that most of my problems were being fuelled by my own mind, it was a MAJOR breakthrough because it was then that I understood that there was no way my life was ever going to be different unless I changed MY mind.

I had to dig down deep into all of the negative emotional experiences I'd spent years trying to avoid and repress. Urghhhh.... I had to honestly look at how I was showing up to my own life (or not showing up) and why. I had to take responsibility for making major shifts in MY own ways of being and that is what shifted my life.

Over the past 20 years, I've counselled and coached thousands of people, helping them set themselves free from the prison of their own mind and to shift their nervous system out of survival mode to that they can experience freedom from within.

My coaching and online healing programs will give you the insights, information, and tools you need to transform your life. But, here’s the thing. No one can do this for you. No one. As much as you may need support and guidance, this is something you, and only YOU, can do. 

Not everyone is ready for healing. Not everyone is ready to create something new and meaningful in their lives. For whatever reason, some people are going to stay stuck exactly where they are, repeating the same painful patterns for the rest of their lives. But that doesn't have to be you. You can decide to start your journey today, RIGHT NOW!

In the end.

When I healed my past and reconditioned my mind and emotions, I woke up to life. MY life! But I needed the motivation to do that. I needed the intense suffering to get me to a point where I even wanted to change. However, I don't believe you need to wait until you're in the depths of despair. With a solid decision, the right strategies and guidance, and some discipline, you too can learn to harness the power of your own mind and start spinning outside the boundaries of your habitual thinking, feeling, and behavioural patterns. Once this happens, you will discover a whole new world of possibilities and opportunities. 


Degrees & Certifications

• Honours BA – psychology, Laurentian University
• Master of Education, Nipissing University
• Third-Party Neutral certificate, CICR
• Certified Coach Practitioner, CCF
• Certified Master Coach Practitioner, CCF 
• Several certifications (i.e. Trauma-informed care, Suicide Intervention, Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis, Clinical Hypnotherapy Master Certification etc.)

Work Experience

Leblanc Counselling & Consulting Inc.
Therapist, Life Coach, and Author - 2018- present

• Offer individual coaching and consulting services
• Deliver training, workshops, and key note addresses
• Provide online courses on topics related to stress and toxic relationships  

 Program Director and Mental Health Therapist  
Alliance Centre - WNGH 2008 – 2018 

• Responsible for the management of several programs including Mental Health Counselling and Treatment; Adult and Youth Substance Abuse, Crisis Intervention, and Case Management.
• Ensure quality treatment within approved best practices, accreditation standards, and policies/procedures.
• Provide clinical supervision to a team of clinicians.
• Budgetary and human Resources responsibilities include hiring, training.
• Provide therapeutic services to clients with mental health issues.

Mediator, Facilitator, Life Coach & Third-Party Neutral  
M. Thorpe & Associates February 2012 - 20187

• Deliver workshops, seminars on a variety of topics including stress management; conflict resolution, interpersonal skills, and communication.
• Provide workplace restoration sessions, facilitation, mediation and coaching services.
• Provide keynote addresses at conferences.

Manager of the School Support Program – Autism Spectrum Disorder Algonquin Child and Family Services Aug 06- June 2008 

• Responsible for the leadership of a team of ASD Consultants who deliver services to School Board personnel in an effort to enhance knowledge of ASD and evidence-based practices used to treat children and youth with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Budget and human resources responsibilities include hiring, training.
• Performance management aimed at optimizing team processes, motivating employees and enhancing morale through performance appraisals and regular supervision.

Manager of Clinical Services and Behaviour Therapist 
Community Living West Nipissing 1995-2006 

• Responsible for the management of several programs including Clinical Services, Family Home, Transitions, and Residential Program.
• Provide consultation to and assist primary caregivers with behavioural
assessment, planning, and implementation of behavior management programs. for children, adolescents and adults with a dual diagnosis.
• Conducted psychometric testing.
• Counseled and provided group therapy to individuals with a developmental disability (i.e. self-esteem, relationships, social skills, etc.).