Renew Psychology Services, located in North Tacoma, is the private psychology practice of Dr. Lisa Hardebeck. Dr. Hardebeck specializes in couples / relationship therapy. She also sees a limited number of solo clients for work on their relationships and/or a wide variety of other mental health concerns.
About Dr. Hardebeck
Dr. Lisa Hardebeck is one of only a few 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
Advanced training in Integrative Sex Therapy
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 in her career, Dr. Hardebeck has become especially passionate about relationship therapy in recent years. She now works primarily with couples, and has helped hundreds of couples repair and renew their relationships. Dr. Hardebeck also sees a limited number of individual clients each week (click here for more information).
In couples 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
(Click HERE for information about Dr. Hardebeck's work with solo clients)
Intro to Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Intro to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Over her 20+ years in practice, Dr. Hardebeck has successfully helped hundreds of couples repair and renew their relationships. In doing so she 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 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:
(Click HERE for information about individual therapy)
Ongoing Weekly Couples Therapy (recommended for most couples)
Talking about tough topics or addressing relationship trauma with a partner is never easy, but Dr. Lisa takes an active role in relationship repair to ensure that sessions remain calm and productive. Unlike unstructured sessions where partners may leave feeling worse, our approach is focused and intentional. In Gottman therapy, you will learn and practice specific skills designed to move your relationship forward. When old habits like criticism or defensiveness arise, we intervene to keep the work on track. Additionally, through Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, we focus on your connection to help you form a stronger, more secure emotional bond. Partners learn to identify the patterns that keep them feeling stuck and develop healthier, more effective ways of interacting. With practice, these new habits can be successfully integrated into your daily life.
Ad-hoc (one-time or occasional) Couples Sessions
We maintain a limited pool of clients who schedule occasional or ad-hoc appointments. Ad-hoc appointments are sometimes used by couples whose schedules do not allow for regular, weekly appointments. Sometimes ad-hoc appointments are scheduled with couples who are transitioning out of weekly sessions into more occasional "tune-up" appointments. They may also be right for those who simply want a single relationship consultation, or for partners who want assistance and guidance discussing one very specific issue that raises challenges in the relationship. Ad-hoc appointments are different from weekly appointments in that they are less progressive in nature. 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. Our ad-hoc appointments are not cancelable once booked, although they can be rescheduled. (See our cancellation policies for details.)
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.
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.
Intensive/Expanded Sessions
Occasionally, Dr. Lisa will recommend an intensive/expanded session lasting 3-5 hours. These appointments 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.