Dr. Janet Lapp

“It's not that I want to die. Some part of me believes I already did. That day.

When my feelings go underground, they don't leave—they hide where light can't reach them. Down there, I know I love, I feel. I want to show my children, tell my children I love them, but my voice doesn't come out. Everything is glassy, floaty, sealed. Violence on TV or in movies slices through me like a knife. I can't. Sudden noises make me scream.

What's the matter with you? It's been years, after all.

The guilt crouches quietly in the corners. If only I had said something. If I had asked more questions. If I had tried harder. I tell no one this. I'm not enough to stop this. I'm not enough.

I walk through life as something unfinished, a broken part, a faulty circuit, a defect. A silence that won't resolve. A body that still flinches. A heart that wants to feel but doesn't remember how.”

Wired Different: Healing what can’t be healed. Janet E Lapp, PhD

Originally from Québec, Canada, I began my mental health career as a Registered Nurse with post-graduate certification in Psychiatry. After fifteen years in acute patient care, and as a nursing director and administrator, driven by a growing fascination with the human brain, I earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from McGill University in Montréal, completing adjunct research at the Montréal Neurological Institute.

My early research and publications focused on brain studies with McGill’s Electrophysiology Labs, collaborating with Drs. Maurice Dongier and Hans Selye. My clinical training included work in McGill’s Migraine and Sleep Laboratory, Dr. Leslie Solyom’s groundbreaking treatment of phobias, and Dr. Elie G. Debbane’s group psychotherapy program based on Salvador Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy model.

After accepting a position as Associate Professor at California State University, I continued my practice in Behavioral Medicine and Neuropsychology. A consultation with a dysfunctional executive team at a major bank sparked a pivotal shift in my work—I recognized the urgent need for psychologically grounded approaches within organizations. Since then, I have guided leaders and teams in developing the emotional agility and mindset required to navigate disruption and lead change with humanity and health.

During research for my new book on healing trauma called Wired Different, I was struck by the inadequacy of assessment and treatment methods for trauma, and by the need for increased awareness and heightened compassion for unhealed trauma both at the individual level and in the workplace.