Lisa was a smart and motivated student with dreams for her future but had to put them on hold when she got pregnant at 16. Now a licensed clinical social worker with a special interest in the physical and emotional effects of chronic stress that black women experience living in dangerous neighborhoods, she works in private practice and has also mentored teen moms in Chicago to help them think critically and help better care for themselves.

In this episode, Lisa shares her views on oppression, how a lack of basic resources like jobs, quality healthcare, and education have perpetuated the cycle of poverty, and the work she’s doing on What’s Left Behind, her documentary highlighting the moms and families of murdered young people lost to gun violence in Chicago.

Lisa Butler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice. For over 20 years she has worked with women and girls to help facilitate emotional healing.  She specializes in mother-daughter conflict, self-esteem, forgiveness, shame and anxiety.

Lisa believes that most of our challenges begin with our thoughts about ourselves, others, and the world.  She uses cognitive and dialectical behavior therapies to teach clients how their thoughts/feelings inform their behaviors and life choices. She believes that helping people recognize the power of their thoughts is key to emotional wellness.

Lisa is also the Producer/Director of What’s Left Behind, a documentary highlighting the moms/and families of murdered young people in Chicago.  Lisa is a Ford Scholar and a graduate of University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.