Dr. Lisa Vander Veer

Dr. Vander Veer has a passion for working with college students, encouraging others in their professional development, and for assisting in the training of new therapists. She feels blessed to do all of these things as Director of Olivet’s Counseling and Health Services Department. Dr. Vander Veer has been on staff at Olivet since 2009 and has been working in college and university counseling centers since 2006. She has developed areas of specialization in healthy relationships, mindfulness-based stress reduction, anxiety disorders, personality issues and health psychology. Dr. Vander Veer also has experience in inpatient adult and geriatric psychiatry, intensive outpatient programs, testing/assessment, and working with adolescent sex offenders and victims.

Dr. Vander Veer is enthusiastic about outreach and prevention and feels that it is important for Counseling and Health to promote health and wellness to the campus community in a variety of ways. She also values serving as a resource for consultation to Olivet faculty and staff.

Her approach to therapy begins by building a positive, safe relationship with her clients and at times using that relationship to serve as a model for relationships outside of therapy. She believes it is important to help clients remove barriers that interfere with reaching their full potential. Dr. Vander Veer finds it beneficial to provide practical tools to her clients to help them achieve success in the many aspects of college life. She also believes in the power of therapy groups to provide transformative experiences in the lives of students. In addition to her work as Director of Counseling and Health Services, Dr. Vander Veer also teaches a Freshman Seminar class. She enjoys the many hats she gets to wear at Olivet.

When she is not working, Dr. Vander Veer enjoys spending time with her husband and their two little boys, hanging out with family and friends, camping and enjoying the great outdoors, volunteering at her church, and running. She likes to do road races ranging from 5Ks to marathons. All that running makes her hungry, so she also enjoys cooking.