Renew Psychology Services, located in North Tacoma, is the private psychology practice of Dr. Lisa Hardebeck. Dr. Hardebeck's work focuses primarily on couples / relationship therapy, although she also sees a limited number of solo clients for a wide variety of mental health concerns.
About Dr. Hardebeck
Dr. Lisa Hardebeck is one of only a few clinical psychologists in the world who is fully certified in both EFT and Gottman Couples Therapy practices.
Fully Certified (Level 4) Gottman Therapist, The Gottman Institute
Fully Certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist (EFT)
Fully Certified Discernment Counselor, Doherty Relationship Institute
Fully Certified Integrative Sex Therapist
Experienced, qualified, compassionate
Dr. Lisa Hardebeck has been a practicing clinical psychologist for over two decades; she has worked with a wide variety of clients in all stages of life and growth. While she has enjoyed a varied practice over the years, Dr. Hardebeck has become especially passionate about relationship therapy in recent years and now works primarily with couples.
In relationship therapy there are currently two primary approaches that therapists use: Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFT). A highly-qualified couples therapist will be trained in one of these modalities, or even better will have spent years earning "full certification" in one modality or the other. However, Dr. Hardebeck is one of only a few psychologists in the world who is fully certified in both Gottman and EFT. In addition, Dr. Hardebeck is also a Certified Discernment Counselor, and has advanced training in both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Integrative Sex Therapy.
Prior to her specialized training in couples therapy, Dr. Hardebeck earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling at St. Martin’s University, and then a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. After finishing her Ph.D., she completed a post-doctoral fellowship through Tacoma’s Mary Bridge Pediatric Psychology Services Unit, and the University of Washington’s Center on Human Development and Disability.
For many years, Dr. Hardebeck was the owner and Clinical Director at one of Tacoma's largest mental health clinics, overseeing a staff of more than a dozen psychologists who serve the behavioral health needs of thousands of clients. In 2025 she gave up her duties at the clinic and opened a more intimate office, "Renew Psychology Services," to better focus on her own clients. In addition to her work with couples, she also sees a limited number of individual clients each week for either in-office therapy, or "Walk and Talk" therapy along the Ruston Way waterfront.
Dr. Hardebeck works with couples and individuals who are experiencing all manner of difficulties. She is emphatically non-judgmental. She works with people of all orientations and identities, she is LGBTQ+ affirming, and sex-positive. She lives in Tacoma with her spouse of 30+ years, and she has two adult children.
More about couples therapy
Intro to Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Intro to Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
Dr. Hardebeck works primarily in relationship therapy, although she also sees a limited number of solo clients each week (click here for more information about her work with solo clients).
In working with couples, Dr. Hardebeck draws on her expertise in the two most widely-respected couples therapy approaches: Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy. She also utilizes other resources, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Integrative Sex Therapy, and even her own successful marriage of 30+ years. Dr. Hardebeck will listen, assess, and talk with each couple about how different approaches can be used in therapy. She helps steer couples through times of difficulty or crisis, and teaches skills that can dramatically improve the intimacy and friendship in your relationship, while helping to manage conflict in a healthy, positive manner.
The Gottman Method is a world-renowned program that has helped millions of couples worldwide. The program is developed from 40 years of research with more than 3,000 couples, and is grounded in what actually works in relationships that are happy and stable, not idealistic notions or anecdotal evidence of what a relationship should be.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a well-known approach to psychotherapy formulated in the 1980’s by Dr. Sue Johnson, and developed in tandem with the science of adult attachment, a profound developmental theory of personality and intimate relationships. This approach, validated by by the American Psychological Association, has been met with unprecedented success in helping distressed couples improve their relationship and deepen their bond.
Couples therapy options at RPS:
Premarital Counseling
Planning your wedding is a happy and beautiful stage of your relationship: the cake tastings, the showers, and other important milestones. However, before you say “I Do,” consider not just the beginning of your journey together, but the long-term health of your union. Starting off on the right foot with your spouse could save years of heartache (and therapy) down the road. With Dr. Hardebeck's help, you will have the opportunity to envision your life together and build a solid foundation from day one. You'll do so in a manner that feels safe but allows you to take risks; in a manner that teaches you to learn, grow, and manage conflict as a team.
Discernment Counseling
Unlike couples therapy, the aim of discernment counseling is not to improve your relationship. Instead, discernment counseling is designed to help each partner determine where they stand on the relationship: Are they still invested, and would they like to continue working at making the union work? Or have they already - sometimes without being fully aware - divested from the relationship? Discernment counseling typically starts with an in-depth assessment process designed to pinpoint each partner's emotional wounds, provide clarity regarding the different pathways forward, and potentially identify steps needed to repair the relationship. Discernment counseling is designed to be short term (1-5 sessions). At the completion of each session you will be asked if you desire another discernment session. Discernment counseling is completed at the end of the five sessions (or before) when you have determined a path forward - to enter couples therapy, to maintain the current status, or to dissolve the relationship.
Ongoing Weekly Couples Therapy Sessions
Talking about tough topics, or addressing relationship trauma with your partner is never easy. But I take an active role in your relationship repair to ensure that things remain calm and productive. This is not an unstructured therapy session where you come in with your partner, fight about various issues, and then leave feeling bad. In Gottman therapy, you learn and practice new skills that will continually move your relationship forward. When old habits like criticism or defensiveness arise, we will intervene and bring the conversation back on track. In Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, we zero in on the relationship connection and help partners form a stronger, more secure bond. Partners learn to identify relationship patterns that keep them feeling stuck, and then learn new, healthier ways of interacting. With practice, couples are eventually able to adopt these new habits into their daily lives.
Ad-hoc (One-time or occasional) Couples Sessions
Ad-hoc relationship consultations are best suited for couples who are unable to commit to weekly therapy appointments (due to variable work schedules, etc.). They may also be right for those who simply prefer occasional relationship consultations, or who want to schedule periodic consultations post-therapy to ensure the relationship stays on track. You will find this work different from regular therapy appointments in that it is not progressive in nature and relies on the couple coming in with an agenda on which they’d like consultation. However, ad-hoc consultations can be a valuable resource for couples who are in less relationship distress but who want to explore, deepen, and/or maintain their relationship.
Intensive/Expanded Sessions
An intensive/expanded session lasting 3-5 hours can offer relationship partners the opportunity to "fast track" important conversations that could take several weeks/months in traditional, weekly therapy sessions. This can be particularly helpful when addressing very focused areas, such as pre-marital work. It can also be a particularly effective option when a relationship is in immediate crisis, due to infidelity or other distress, and more urgent/intensive conversations are needed before additional relationship rebuilding can happen.