Liz O’Donnell, PhD (LPCC-S, PT, CPC, MLS)

Liz O’Donnell is a doctoral level licensed professional clinical counselor  licensed in the State of Ohio, California and Florida and a licensed physical therapist (OH), Certified Professional/Executive  Coach and registered yoga teacher (RYT), with significant expertise in individual, group, and relationship therapy. She has been working in the field of infertility for over 25 years and became certified as a pre-term infant developmental specialist (NIDCAP) in 1996.

She is a professional member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Member American Counseling Association,  and co-founder and VP, of Dare2Care, (now Dare2Lead) a Cleveland based LGBTQ focused anti-bullying organization, now an embedded program of the Cleveland Leadership Center. She has significant experience working with individuals who have experienced sexual trauma, or are/have been in a relationship with a partner who has been sexually compulsive. She approaches this work from a trauma based perspective. Please refer to the work of Dr. Omar Minwalla at the Institute for Sexual Health theinstituteforsexualhealth.com.

Read a blog post Dr. O’Donnell has written on betrayal trauma.

She practices with great care, dignity, and respect for the unique characteristics of each persons particular narrative. Dr. O’Donnell is also Associate Clinical  Professor, Family and Community Medicine, NEOMED (Northeast Ohio Medical University) and designed the course: Sex Gender and Diverse Identities in the 21st Century.

Liz became interested in how environmental, relationship, and emotional stress can be manifested in the body through her early work as a physical therapist with athletes, and later as a developmental specialist with infants and children and their families. Her counseling philosophy follows an integrative (mind-body) approach including some cognitive behavioral strategies and the existential logo therapy model of Victor Fankl. She believes that current life circumstances are influenced by our past experiences, genetics and generational biology, as well as our physical and emotional wellbeing and she continues to build upon this practice method.

Liz believes that what we believe (and therefore know) and how we think has a considerable impact on our emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and behavioral reactivity and influences how well we can live our lives. Liz encourages clients to examine their physical, mental, emotional, sexual, relationship, and spiritual health to help them deconstruct old habits and establish meaningful  and healthy ways of being in their lives.

B.Sc. (Physical Therapy) University of Toronto

MSE (Community Counseling) University of Wisconsin

PhD (Urban Education – Counseling) Cleveland State University click the following link to read Liz’s PhD dissertation (https://mindingmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/LizFinaldissPDF.pdf ).

Primary Care Transformational Fellow Northeast Ohio Medical University – January 2020-June2021

Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Studies in Bioethics – Cleveland State University May, 2022

Master’s of Legal Studies – Cleveland State University College of Law May, 2023

Specialized Family and Divorce Mediation the Supreme Court of Ohio – 2023

Counseling

  • LPCC-S – Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board of Ohio www.cswmft.ohio.gov
  • MHC – Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board of Florida
  • LPPC – Board of Behavioral Sciences California https://www.bbs.ca.gov/
  • Registered Member – British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP – I.D. # 01015272)
  • NCC – National Board Certified Counselor – https://www.nbcc.org/
  • CPC – Certified Professional Coach Designation through Center for Coaching Certification www.centerforcoachingcertification.com
  • Primary Care Transformational Fellow Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Advanced graduate Certificate in Bioethics – Cleveland State University 2022
  • EMDR level I and II Certification
  • Brain Spotting level I and II
  • Three years post-graduate education in Sexual and Relationship Health
  • Level I and II training in Gottman Method Couple Therapy
  • Pelvic Physical Therapy level I

Infertility

  • American Society of Reproductive Medicine www.asrm.org
  • International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination www.inciid.org
  • APTA Pelvic Specialist Certification – Level I
  • NIDCAP Certified www.nidcap.org

Yoga, Mind Body Connection

  • Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) (Additional Certification in Therapeutic Yoga 2015)
  • Yoga Alliance www.yogaalliance.org

To provide comprehensive and integrative counseling services to individuals and couples independent of race, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, sex, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. To help clients identify and move through periods of paralysis, crisis or loss while developing resilience and constructing new and effective ways to sustain their life and their relationships.

  • Guiding Eyes for the Blind – Puppy Raiser – current pup Coral (recent graduate Delta)
  • Dare2Care (current)
  • HRC 2009-2011
  • International Council on Infertility Information Dissemination 2003-2010
  • Red Cross Hurricane Katrina 2005
  • Resolve Ohio 2003-2006
  • Wisconsin Planned Parenthood 1997-1999
  • Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care 1994-1998

Read an essay about her experience in Hurricane Katrina:  A mile in their shoes

If you are unable to access this article please e-mail Liz O’Donnell directly for a copy.

In 2011, Liz O’Donnell and Don Wismer founded the non-profit Dare2Care whose mission was to develop leadership programming for students to address LGBTQ targeted and other bullying in the school environment. We are excited to announce that this program has now been absorbed by the Cleveland Leadership Center and we are excited to see the expanded programming that will be offered under their great direction.