Meet New to InnerVoice Therapist, Lilian Maali

Lilian is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has spent the last three years working in both residential and inpatient settings. She has experience with difficult populations including individuals suffering from severe and acute mental illnesses. Lilian has experience dealing with aggression, complex trauma, and providing therapy to patients who are dealing with systemic issues, racial injustice, and economic disparities. Lilian is a culturally aware clinician with a strong clinical skill set and primarily focuses on adults and adolescents.

InnerVoice: What makes you unique as a therapist?

Lilian: The energy I bring into my sessions. Creating that safety and comfort is important and bringing in a very calm energy, one that is supportive as well. My natural personality makes people feel very seen and heard.

InnerVoice: What do you like most about being a therapist?

Lilian: I like the self-discovery that comes with it. I think it pushes me out of my comfort zone. I hold myself to a higher standard. I can’t teach someone breaking down thoughts or implementing worry time or all these different CBT techniques when I don’t do the same. It makes me want to be better so I can better help my clients.

InnerVoice: What can potential clients expect when working with you?

Lilian: With my clients, I never like to sugarcoat things. I like to focus on how things are, the reality of things. A lot of times, clients have false narratives and false hopes. In my therapy sessions, I like to focus on the here-and-now reality, the circumstances and things we can control and how we can move on or manage whatever they are going through. 

We live in a very fast-paced society, so giving a client time to just sit and process—where a client can just sit and pause and feel the feelings—can be really powerful. Silence really can be golden.

InnerVoice: What would you tell someone considering therapy for the first time?

Lilian: Go for it! You have nothing to lose but so much to gain.

InnerVoice: What would you tell someone considering therapy for the first time?

Lilian: Just because you are seeking mental health treatment doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. You aren’t abnormal. I want to break down those stigmas. Talking to someone and wanting to better yourself shows so much strength. We live in a sick society that wants to push the narrative that getting help, leaning on others, or asking for support is a weakness. We don’t realize how much beauty and growth comes from getting help and support. There isn’t anything wrong with you, you are human and need and deserve support.

InnerVoice: Would you like to share any of your self-care strategies with us?

Lilian: I love to break down self-care and wellness into domains. We burn out in different areas. We can feel burned out emotionally/mentally, physically, and even socially. I really like to tune in to my body and see what I am missing and then assess. Some that work for me:

●     Eating for hormones and brain health

●     Taking vitamins

●     Drinking the amount of water I need for the day

●     Eating nutritious meals to give my body the fuel it needs

●     Mind and body alignment through being outdoors, taking a bike ride, or going to the gym

I make sure to pour into my own cup.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.