Lisa Marie Petrongelli, PsyD, MSN, APRN-BC, CCTS, C-AAIS

Lisa Marie Petrongelli holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In addition to being a children’s book author, she is a certified trauma therapist, EMDR therapist, and a certified Pet Partner handler. Most recently, she earned certification as an Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist, combining her passion for healing with the therapeutic power of animals.

Alongside this work, she founded Therapy House - Créme de la Creme Animal Foundation  to counteract the inhumane treatment of animals and to bring awareness of animal assisted therapies to the community. She has been a lifelong animal lover and first began creating fictional animals in middle school transporting readers to a place where animals with endearing flaws are stronger than they look, traveling into worlds of exuberance as they win over the hearts of the reader. 

Writing a children’s book had always been on her to-do list—and with Comfortable In Her Shell, that dream finally became a reality. When she’s not busy running her private mental health practice devoted exclusively to girls and women, Lisa spends her time pursuing the art of cello playing (with great enthusiasm and patience!) and practicing bareback riding on her wonderfully stubborn horse. Known for her humorous take on life’s deeper truths, Lisa is endlessly drawn to creative projects and has a special fondness for willow trees. She lives in Illinois with her family and a lively collection of animals who continue to inspire her storytelling. Through whimsical, magical fables, she writes about imperfect characters discovering their voice and finding their place in the world.