Lisa Firestone is a contemporary psychologist who specializes in suicide and violence prevention and psychological defenses. 

Professional Life

Lisa Firestone was born in 1957 and received her PhD in clinical psychology in 1991 from the California School of Professional Psychology. She worked as an adjunct faculty member at the University of California at Santa Barbara, and she has spent decades teaching and researching the potential of violence and suicide.

Firestone has maintained a private practice in Santa Barbara, California, for more than 20 years. She is also the Director of Research and Education at the Glendon Association, where she focuses on parenting, couples therapy, and violence and suicide prevention. She also teaches Voice Therapy® with her colleague Joyce Catlett, offers lectures for the public and professionals, and is the author of several books. 

Contribution to Psychology

Firestone collaborated with her father, Robert W. Firestone, to create measurements for assessing the potential for suicide and violence, known as the Firestone Assessment of Self-destructive Thoughts (FAST), the Firestone Assessment of Suicidal Intent (FASI), and the Firestone Assessment of Violent Thoughts (FAVT).

Firestone lectures regularly and speaks at several national conferences, including the International Association of Forensic Psychology, the Department of Defense, the American Psychological Association, and the International Association of Suicide Prevention, among others. She has been published in many journals, magazines, and newspapers and has made radio and television appearances. Firestone has written many books relating to psychological defenses; her most recent works include Conquer Your Critical Inner Voice, Sex and Love in Intimate Relationships, and Creating a Life of Meaning and Compassion: The Wisdom of Psychotherapy.

Dr. Firestone Featured on GoodTherapy.org

In May, 2011 Lisa Firestone presented Challenging Your Critical Inner Voice: An Introduction to Voice Therapy, a GoodTherapy.org web conference available to clinicians for CE credits.