"Striving for success to the point of developing an ulcer, uncompromising with superiors less sharp than yourself, rejecting girls who want to play with you, rejecting boys who want to get close. Meanwhile, at every turn, asking yourself 'What do I really want?'" ― Patrick Jane tells Teresa Lisbon in "Rose-Colored Glasses" about how she hasn't changed since high school.
"Oh, a stubborn girl? Likes to hide her feelings behind a tough exterior? Yeah, I think I’ve met a woman like that. Want to know how I got her to lower her guard? I lowered mine." ― Patrick Jane discusses their relationship and gives advice to Teresa Lisbon at the Greybar Hotel.
Lisbon grew up in Chicago. Her mother was a nurse, and her father was a firefighter (Red Hot). Her parents bought the yellow house in the Chicago neighborhood where she grew up when she was three years old (Little Yellow House). As a child, Lisbon drew a picture of her family and pets on the wall of her bedroom closet with crayons. The crayon drawing still remains in the house. The family faced financial problems. In White Orchids, Lisbon mentions that her mother owned a sewing machine, but "it was always in hock" at the local pawn shop. Lisbon and perhaps her brothers were sent to Catholic school (Red Velvet Cupcakes), where Lisbon was an excellent student (Little Yellow House).
Her mother was killed by a drunk driver when she was only twelve years old (Red Badge). In the episode Red Tide, it is implied that she had to take on her mother's role and care for the family from a young age. In Little Yellow House, Lisbon tells Jane that she had to become a parent to her brothers after their mother's death. It is implied that her family life was not easy even before her mother's death. Lisbon tells her brother Jimmy that someone in the family had to take responsibility because, "You know what Mom and Dad were like." After her mother's death, her father's alcoholism either started or worsened, and he eventually committed suicide. It is unclear whether he did this intentionally or accidentally. Lisbon says that he "almost killed me and my brothers too," leaving both possibilities open. It could have been another drunk driving accident or simply neglect. In Red Badge, Lisbon mentions that her father was very violent, as he once beat one of her brothers to the point of death and did not remember doing so. It is evident that her father experienced memory loss when drinking.
Lisbon babysat a boy named TJ Mullins when she was a teenager. When he locked her out, Lisbon threw a brick through his basement window and entered the house that way. She then insisted on paying Mr. and Mrs. Mullins for the broken window because she was a "straight arrow." As a teenager, she worked at a local restaurant. She dated a boy named "Woody Squire," who had an infected ear piercing just before the school dance (Little Yellow House). She played the clarinet in the high school band. Jane predicted this, and it was confirmed when a clarinet was seen in a box of Teresa's belongings at her childhood home in Little Yellow House.
The first of her three brothers to appear in the series is Tommy Lisbon (presumably short for Thomas), who is listed in Lisbon's phone contacts under "Town & Country Electrical." She seems to be at odds with him because she "forgives him for anything" and wants him to make up with his brothers (Code Red). Her brother Tommy became a bounty hunter; Tommy Lisbon, a single father, and his 14-year-old daughter Annie appear in the episode "Where in the World is Carmine O'Brien?" of the fourth season. Lisbon seems to play a parental role for Tommy, whom she considers a screw-up, and tells Jane, "I practically raised that kid and his brothers." Her brothers Jimmy and Stan make their first appearance in Little Yellow House. Jimmy is wanted as a material witness in a murder investigation, and Stan, a married housing contractor with five children, owes money to a loan shark who beat him up for late payments. Lisbon and Jane help out, and Lisbon reconciles with her brothers, and they attend the baptism of her youngest nephew.
When she was young and still living in Chicago, Teresa was engaged to a man named Greg Tayback, but she broke up with him. In So Long, and Thanks for All the Red Snapper, they meet again, and his wife Lauren says he was very heartbroken after their breakup. Later, Lisbon apologizes to Greg for "running away" from him the way she did. In Little Yellow House, Lisbon tells Jane that she hasn't been to her parents' house since her father passed away. In Nothing But Blue Skies, Lisbon mentions her grandfather, who gave her a classic model car as a graduation gift. It is implied that Lisbon left her family in Chicago to attend college on the West Coast and did not visit frequently. While in college, Lisbon enjoyed listening to jazz music, a musical interest she seems to share with Jane (Carnelian, Inc., Ring Around the Rosie). In Little Yellow House, Jane says that she left Chicago because she felt trapped by family responsibilities. Lisbon does not dispute this.
All three of Lisbon's brothers admire her but have somewhat difficult relationships with her. Tommy sees her as overly controlling but is happy when she expresses pride in him at the end of the episode "Where in the World is Carmine O'Brien?". In "Little Yellow House," Jimmy Lisbon accuses Lisbon of only calling him when she wants to scold him. Stan Lisbon calls his sister "boss" and hides his financial troubles from her because he wants her to be proud of him. He is unhappy with her for avoiding family gatherings. Lisbon's niece, Annabeth, wants to become a police officer like her aunt because she thinks Teresa is totally "cool" and gets to beat up bad guys. Teresa's family nicknames are "Reese" or "T." In "Little Yellow House," Jane tells her that her brothers are not mad at her for leaving; they just miss her. This helps her reconcile with them. Stan and Jimmy Lisbon and their families later attend Lisbon's wedding to Jane in "White Orchids."
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