Carlsbad · Vista · Online
Dr. Lisette Montañez
Licensed Psychologist | AuDHD, ADHD & Executive Functioning | she/her
I specialize in helping teens and adults with AuDHD (co-occurring autism and ADHD) and ADHD understand their brains, navigate executive functioning challenges, and build lives that feel authentically theirs. Whether you are newly diagnosed or seeking deeper clarity, I bring both clinical expertise and a collaborative, judgment-free approach.
A short introduction
About Dr. Montañez
Dr. Lisette Montañez is a licensed psychologist at Coastal Therapy Group in Carlsbad and Vista who specializes in therapy for AuDHD (co-occurring autism and ADHD), ADHD, and the executive functioning challenges that come with them. She works with teens and adults, with particular experience supporting late-diagnosed adults and high-masking women. She holds a doctorate in clinical psychology (PsyD) from Alliant International University, completed her APA-accredited internship at Case Western Reserve University, and her postdoctoral fellowship at Coastal Therapy Group. Alongside her neurodivergence work, she sees clients for anxiety, depression, trauma, LGBTQ-affirming care, religious trauma, and couples therapy, and offers animal-assisted sessions with her therapy dog Bernie. She sees clients in person in Carlsbad and Vista, and online throughout California.
Where her work goes deep
Therapy for AuDHD, ADHD & executive functioning
AuDHD & ADHD
Co-occurring autism and ADHD, or either on its own. We focus on how your particular brain handles attention, sensory input, emotional regulation, and masking, rather than treating one label at a time.
Learn more →Executive functioning
The day-to-day weight of ADHD and autism: time, planning, follow-through, and transitions, plus the overwhelm that builds when systems designed for other brains do not fit yours.
Late diagnosis & high-masking adults
Many clients, especially high-masking women, spent years being told they were just anxious or disorganized. A later diagnosis can bring relief and grief at once, and therapy is a place to work through both.
Learn more →How she works
Affirming, not corrective
My approach is affirming rather than corrective. The goal is not to make you look neurotypical, it is to help you understand how your mind actually works and build a life that fits it. Whether you are newly diagnosed, self-identified, or still wondering, we start wherever you are and move at your pace.
My work with you is therapy, not testing. Together we untangle what is genuinely hard, notice where shame has crept in, and figure out what support actually helps, whether that is structure, self-compassion, or grieving the years before you had answers. If you are seeking a formal diagnosis or documentation for accommodations, our team also offers a comprehensive AuDHD evaluation.
In her own words
There is always more than is seen on the surface
Our emotions can often feel out of control, and it can be hard to understand where they are coming from or even why certain emotions are coming up. Each person has their own unique experiences and for some of us identifying, verbalizing and processing our feelings can be challenging. It can often feel easier to just push those emotions away, until it isn’t. Sometimes it takes a safe, caring, and compassionate therapy relationship to bring to mind what has felt intolerable, unloveable, or too much to address by yourself.
We are all shaped by our relationships since birth and some of our earliest relationships continue to impact us. Together, we can explore the emotional and relational residue that are rupturing into the present, the unwanted parts.
My clinical experience has shaped how I view everyone, and nurtured my awe for the complexity of human experience. In my training at community mental health settings and university counseling centers, I’ve grown passionate about providing quality care to underserved populations such as victims of crime and immigrant communities. This desire to care for people extends into working with sexual minorities, specifically individuals who are experiencing an internal conflict between their sexual identity and religious beliefs. Throughout all of these experiences, my multicultural perspective deepened as I learned about the unique lives and the sociocultural context of each person I saw. Each of these experiences fostered a sensibility that, whomever I am sitting with, there is always more than is seen on the surface and an understanding that all suffering has meaning.
A little extra support
Animal-assisted therapy with Bernie
Bernie is completing training to be a therapy dog here at our Carlsbad and Vista offices. He’s always happy to see you and has been practicing sitting politely by the door when clients arrive. While he may sometimes reach for his chew bone to contain his excitement, he’s learning to settle into sessions and relax on his bed. Bernie’s friendly, playful energy already brings an added layer of warmth to our sessions. Clients are welcome to request his presence if they’d like a little extra support (with the understanding that he’s still finding his footing as a therapy dog-in-training).
For many, Bernie’s presence enhances the therapeutic environment by adding a gentle, nonjudgmental energy. Whether you find comfort in his companionship, enjoy having him nearby, or simply want a little comic relief, I’ll be present with you to ensure a positive experience. I’m excited for the supportive role Bernie will play as he completes his training and grows into his responsibilities with us.
Credentials as a Psychologist
- Licensed Psychologist, California (PSY34928)
- Post-doctoral Fellowship, Coastal Therapy Group
- Pre-doctoral Internship, Case Western Reserve University (APA-accredited)
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD), Alliant International University (APA-accredited)
- Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MA), Alliant International University (APA-accredited)
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (BA), California State University, Dominguez Hills
Areas of Specialized Experience
Before you reach out
Questions clients tend to ask first
Do you work with AuDHD, autism and ADHD together?
Yes. Many of my clients have both ADHD and autistic traits, whether or not they arrived with both diagnoses. In therapy we focus on how your particular brain works (attention, sensory needs, emotional regulation, masking, and executive functioning) rather than treating one label at a time.
I think I was missed as a kid. Do you work with adults diagnosed later in life?
Very much so. Many of the adults I see, especially high-masking women, spent years being told they were just anxious, sensitive, or disorganized. A later diagnosis can be a relief and a grief at the same time. Therapy is a good place to work through both and figure out what actually helps.
Do you provide ADHD or autism testing?
My work with you is therapy, not testing. If you are seeking a formal diagnosis or documentation for accommodations, our testing team offers a comprehensive AuDHD evaluation, and I am glad to help you decide whether that is a useful next step.
Do you offer animal-assisted therapy?
Yes. Bernie, my therapy dog-in-training, is available during sessions at our Carlsbad and Vista offices. Clients can request his presence when booking. Learn more on our animal-assisted therapy page.
Where is your office?
I see clients at Coastal Therapy Group's Carlsbad office (2564 State Street, Suite B) and Vista office (1800 Thibodo Road, Suite 110). I also offer online therapy for anyone in California.
Do you work with religious trauma?
Yes. I have particular experience working with people navigating the intersection of sexual identity and religious beliefs, as well as broader experiences of religious trauma, faith deconstruction, and spiritual harm.
Do you take insurance?
We are a private-pay practice. Many clients with PPO plans receive reimbursement for a significant portion of sessions. We provide the documentation you need to submit to your insurance.