My name is Leslie Ray (she/her). I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Arizona. I received my Masters in Social Work with an emphasis on trauma, grief/loss, and attachment issues and mental health counseling. I also received my Masters in Education (Human Exceptionality), along with an Addictions Counseling Certificate. My counseling experience over the past 25 years has provided me the opportunity to provide a safe and supportive space for a variety of individuals from various cultures, age groups, diverse backgrounds, inclusive and affirming of LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent and marginalized human beings. My genuine, strengths-based, humanistic approach is client-centered, warm, validating, and empathatic. My utilization of evidence-based therapeutic practices has led to ongoing successful client outcomes. My goal is to listen so I can best support you towards achieving your goals. Counseling is team work. I look forward to collaboratively working together and encouraging you along your journey towards hope and healing. I obtained my Masters of Social Work Degree from Walla Walla University, in 2006. I completed a Masters of Education Degree from Idaho State University, in 2005 along with an Addictions Counseling Certificate in 2006. Aside from working in state developmental disabilities programs, private sector counseling agencies, public schools, and currently providing counseling services for Native Americans, I also supervise agency staff and paraprofessionals seeking licensure in order for these folks to practice as social workers and counselors in the future.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

First of all, we will engage in a brief introduction including "what has brought you to Grow Therapy today?" Then, the next step, is the intake history. The intake history illustrates your background, where you live, how long, are you single, married, in a relatioship, health history, and other questions which leads us to the next step, the treatment plan. You are the expert in guiding the treatment plan process. This is where you share what goals you would like to work on as part of therapy. These goals are formally stated in the treatment plan and we work together so you can achieve your specific goals towards hope and healing.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

According to what my former clients said, my strengths are: a good listener, patient, makes client's feel welcomed, felt at ease, safe, validated, has a good sense of humor, uses great metaphors and stories to illustrate a point that clients are able to relate to, making skills easier to learn, understand and apply. Clients would favorably add that the problem solving techniques that were taught could be easily applied to any situation. The counselor would assist client's in identifying the root causes of client's problems and assist client's in applying skills to manage issues. Meeting clients where they are at when it comes to ensuring client readiness to move forward with processing challenges and assisting clients in developing an obtainable plan that leads to successful outcomes, were all common strengths identified by former clients.

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

I enjoy working with clients who have often expressed "feeing stuck" and "overwhelmed", depressed, disappointed, fearful, tearful, and anxious, as they have not processed emotions in a healthy manner that have negatively impacted their lives at work, home, school, within relationships, or, have lead to inner turmoil within themselves. Sometimes, clients turn to unhealthy habits to override or "numb out" their emotions but the underlying root causes are still beneath the surface which often leads to substance use and other addictions. Clients who have experienced traumas such as: narcisstic abuse, physical , emotional or sexual abuse, grief/loss of any kind, body image issues, attachment or abandonment issues often feel as they are "not good enough" and often experience shame, blame and guilt from the abuse that occurred and was not their fault. There is hope and healing waiting.

About Leslie Ray