Lila Wallace grew up in Fairfield, Iowa, and was among the first generation of students to grow up in the Maharishi School community. Today, she’s a licensed psychotherapist specializing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related conditions.

Ms. Wallace’s life beautifully bridges two worlds—a lifetime of developing consciousness through her TM practice and a professional career rooted in modern psychology. She discusses how those experiences have shaped her understanding of mental health, resilience, and the remarkable capacity of people to heal and grow. She’ll also reflect on what it was like growing up with her parents, Dr. Keith and Samantha Wallace, academic and community leaders whose lives inspired so many and whose example influenced her own journey of helping others.

Lila Wallace … beautifully bridges two worlds—a lifetime of developing consciousness through her TM practice and a professional career rooted in modern psychology.

Lila Wallace received a BA in Visual Arts and an MA in Professional Writing from Maharishi International University (MIU), degrees she put to use in her early work as a book indexer and website content manager. She later earned an MA in Holistic Counseling Psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2012.

Lila began her career as a psychotherapist working with children and adolescents in the Napa Valley school system. She then worked with students at the Culinary Institute of America before transitioning to a virtual private practice. Today, she specializes in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions, including skin picking, hair pulling, and hoarding disorder. She is currently licensed to provide psychotherapy to clients in California and Florida. She is also an adjunct faculty member in MIU’s Positive Psychology Department.

Christine Albers, host of TM Talks, interviewed Lila Wallace. This interview was aired on September 6, 2026.