The CALM at Your SURGERY Program

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If you have surgery coming up, see if any of the following feel familiar:

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• You notice your anxiety rising as the surgery date gets closer
• You find yourself researching the procedure repeatedly or late at night
• Your mind jumps to worst-case scenarios even when you try to stay calm
• You feel tension in your body when you think about the hospital or procedure
• Past medical experiences come to mind when you imagine the surgery
• You wish you had tools to feel calmer and more emotionally prepared

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If you found yourself nodding “yes” to several of these, you’re not alone.

 

Many people preparing for surgery experience these exact reactions. Your mind and body are simply responding to uncertainty and trying to keep you safe.

The good news is that there are effective ways to calm your nervous system and prepare emotionally for surgery.

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Welcome to the support you get through the "Calm for Surgery" program with Lisa Pedersen, LCSW.

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       why work with lisa:

Lisa  brings a unique combination of experience to this work.

Earlier in her career, she worked as a Medical Social Worker while also maintaining a private psychotherapy practice. During that time she supported patients navigating serious medical procedures and saw firsthand how emotional preparation can influence both the surgical experience and recovery.

She later worked as a birth doula, supporting parents through a wide range of birth experiences—from medicated births with epidurals to cesarean sections. This work deepened her understanding of how the body and mind respond to medical stress, uncertainty, and vulnerability.

Across these experiences, one truth became clear:

When people feel psychologically prepared, medical procedures often feel far less overwhelming.

Lisa also understands the experience personally, having undergone surgeries herself.

Her approach combines professional training with genuine empathy for what patients go through.

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        professional training:

Lisa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with advanced clinical training that supports this work.

She has completed:

• Three years of post-graduate training in Integrative Body Psychotherapy
A body-based therapy that helps people recognize and regulate the physical sensations of anxiety and stress.

• Training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
An evidence-based approach used to help people work through fear, intrusive thoughts, and anticipatory anxiety.

 

This combination allows her to work with both the thoughts and the nervous system responses that often arise around surgery.

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       what you can expect:

During your sessions, time may be spent:

• Reducing pre-surgery anxiety and calming your nervous system
• Preparing mentally and emotionally for the day of the procedure
• Working through past medical or personal trauma that may resurface
• Strengthening confidence and emotional steadiness before surgery
• Supporting your recovery and emotional processing afterward

The goal is not to eliminate all fear.

The goal is for you to walk into surgery feeling more supported, grounded, and psychologically prepared.

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       this support may be especially helpful if you:

• Have had difficult or frightening medical experiences in the past
• Notice your anxiety increasing as the surgery date gets closer
• Tend to overthink or imagine worst-case scenarios
• Want to enter surgery feeling calmer and more prepared
• Are recovering from surgery and noticing unexpected emotions afterward