About Lisa

“Meaninglessness inhibits fullness of life and is therefore equivalent to illness. Meaning makes a great many things endurable—perhaps everything. ”
— C.G. Jung

My Professional & Personal Journey.

My journey into depth psychotherapy began during my undergraduate studies in German, Psychology, and Sociology, continued with my doctoral work in German, Jewish, and Scandinavian Studies, expanded with my master’s work in counseling, and continues with ongoing training, research, and certifications.

Through my philosophical readings, literary analysis, and research, I was continuously struck by the overarching human concerns related to meaning and purpose in life, human suffering, freedom and responsibility, and isolation and loneliness. These concerns are what make us human—often floating just below the surface of our daily existence.

Existential crises occur to all of us. The death of a loved one; relational betrayal; emotional, physical or sexual trauma;, the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness; or relocation for a new job can catapult us into an existential crisis. Such crises can be debilitating, but they can also be a space for self-reflection, resilience, and growth.

Throughout my life, I’ve studied human nature, societal shifts, and cultural identities in order to facilitate positive community change. After teaching German and Scandinavian literature and folklore at university for ten years, I entered the world of community organizing and activism. For two decades, I worked on women’s rights and environmental social justice issues facing rural and urban communities. In 2017, after much self-reflection and discovery, I realized that I wanted to return to my original studies, so I could engage fully with individuals and couples seeking to make meaning out of life’s many challenges, to grow as individuals, and to improve and enhance their relationships.

My graduate work and research has focused on human concerns related to meaning and purpose in life, human suffering and death, freedom and responsibility, and isolation and loneliness.

I worked for five years as a psychosocial oncology counselor in the Cancer Patient Support Program at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. My clinical and research interests included grief, anxiety, existential threats, caregiver distress, geriatrics, and end of life decisions. My work was deeply rewarding and feel honored to have provided inpatient and outpatient counseling to individuals, couples, and families, and lead support groups for those touched by cancer, including patients, caregivers, couples, families, and oncology providers.

My work is based on the principles of Jungian depth psychology, Eastern and Western philosophies, thanatology (death, dying, bereavement), gender studies, and attachment theory. I believe our earliest childhood attachments serve as the basis for our relationships and engagements with others. I also believe each individual has inherent strengths that enable one to grow and adapt through personal choices and responsibilities.

Lisa A. Rainwater, PhD, MA (couns), LCMHC, LPC, CCMHC, CT, CCTP

Making meaning out of human existence through therapeutic exploration, existential inquiry, grief work, fostering bonds built on respect and security.

My Winston Salem-based psychotherapy practice provides a calming environment and empathic space, where you can become aware and mindful in the here and now, identify meaning in life, and discover your resilience. You are invited you to set aside time to explore yourself, your feelings, and life’s challenges in a safe, confidential setting created for curiosity and transformation.

Without judgement, I meet you wherever you are and encourage you to expand your ideas of how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

Professional Experience

  • Owner, Individual and Couples Psychotherapist, Rainwater Counseling, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

  • Senior Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Psychosocial Oncology & Cancer Patient Support Program—Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

  • Integrated Clinical Programming Manager, Psychosocial Oncology & Cancer Patient Support Program—Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

Personal Analysis & Depth Psychotherapy

  • Transactional Analysis: 550+ hours

  • Existential, Depth-Psychotherapy: 500+ hours

Certifications & Trainings

Community Engagement

Teaching

  • Visiting Guest Lecturer, University of North Carolina-Greensboro

  • Visiting Guest Lecturer, North Carolina A&T

  • Visiting Guest Lecturer, Wake Forest Baptist School of Medicine                      

  • Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Teaching Assistant, University of Wisconsin-Madison                                   

  • Teaching Fellow, University of Oregon-Eugene

Professional Memberships & Affiliations.

Leadership Experience

  • Committee Member, White Affinity Group for Racial Equity, Wake Forest Baptist Health

  • Chair, Philosophy Taskforce, Association for Humanistic Counseling 

  • Emerging Leader, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Association for Humanistic Counseling,

  • Graduate Student Representative, Public Policy and Legislation Committee, American Counseling Association

  • Board Member, PAVE: Promoting Awareness. Victim Empowerment.                

  • National Delegate, National Organization for Women

Presentations & Publications (Selected)

  • Rainwater, L.A., Reconstructing Life & Meaning After Pregnancy Loss: Couples Composition Work. [Conference presentation]. Licensed Clinical Counselors Association of North Carolina Conference, 2023.

  • Rainwater, L.A., Duckworth, K., Lichello, S., Harrison, M., & McQuellon, R. Cancer during a Pandemic: A Young Adult Telemental Health Intervention. [Conference presentation]. (2022). APOS Annual Conference, 2022.

  • Rainwater, L.A., Lichello, S., Duckworth, K., Tolbert, A., & McQuellon, R. (2021, March 10-12). Adapting a psychosocial oncology program during a pandemic: An innovative model of telemental health within an academic medical center [Conference presentation]. APOS  Virtual Conference, 2021.

  • Kress, V., Duggan, J., Rainwater, L.A., Stargell, N., Starkweather, H., Woloch, C., Green counseling: Integrating repurposed materials into counseling interventions. [Conference presentation]. (2019). Association for Humanistic Counseling Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.

  • Rainwater, L.A., Generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, & early childhood trauma: Efficacy in treatment protocols (2018). [Poster presentation]. Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

  • Rainwater, L.A., Duckworth, K., Lichello, S., Harrison, M., & McQuellon, R. (2021). Cancer during a pandemic: A young adult telemental health intervention. [Conference presentation abstract]. APOS Annual Conference, 2022.

  • Rainwater, L.A., Lichello, S., Duckworth, K., Tolbert, A., & McQuellon, R. (2020). Adapting a psychosocial oncology program during a pandemic: An innovative model of telemental health within an academic medical center. [Conference presentation abstract]. APOS Virtual Conference, 2021.

  • McQuellon, R. P., Harrison, M., Rainwater, L.A., Russell, G., & Ober, K. P. (2020). Facilitating empathy in medical students with art: An exercise in focused attention. [Conference presentation abstract]. APOS Virtual Conference, 2021.

  • Rainwater, L.A., Existential conversations in cancerland: Facing mortality while celebrating legacy. (2020). Association for Humanistic Counseling Newsletter, 18-21.

Education

  • Wake Forest University: MA, Counseling

  • University of Bonn (Germany), Doctoral Fellowship

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison: PhD, German & Scandinavian Studies

  • University of Oregon: MA, German

  • Winona State University: BA, Psychology, German, & Sociology

Be the Buffalo
Existential angst can prohibit personal & relational growth. Come to understand where you've been & where you're going with intention and authenticity.

my Life & Hobbies.

I was raised on the LaCrosse River in Wisconsin and owe my love of nature to my parents and childhood explorations. I have lived all over the country, allowing me to savor the different flavors, accents, landscapes, and cultural traditions of each pocket of America. I have also lived and traveled extensively abroad since my early 20s. Germany has often offered me shelter and a second home, whether I was learning about my young self outside Munich or conducting research as a doctoral fellow at the University of Bonn.

The vast majority of my adulthood has been spent as a New Yorker, living on the upper-upper Westside of Manhattan, at the confluence of the Hudson River, the Bronx River, and Spuytan Duyvil Creek in Inwood—the home of the last remaining virgin forest in all of Manhattan. New York continues to hold a large piece of my heart and colors my worldview on so many existential issues including gender, race, ethnicity, climate change, war, poverty, fragility, and resilience.

In 2017, I fell in love with the Winston-Salem community, landscape, and people during my Wake Forest University Residency. I moved to Winston Salem, North Carolina in 2018 to settle in with my husband, a North Carolina native, and our three dogs, Willoby, Loki, and Sierra. After the loss of Willoby, the Alpha, and Sierra, the Alpha II, we adopted Ernie and Baxter to bring our pack back to the Family of 5. They both find comfort in snuggling with Loki during the day and love to pack around. (See photos!)

My hobbies include reading, film, writing, painting, gardening, walking, meditation, Pilates, yoga, Qigong, baking, cooking, and relishing time with friends and family. 

Loki, Ernie, Baxter Sleeping