Leslie Scott
Navigating through the paths of life can be challenging. You don't have to journey them alone. My name is Leslie Scott aka the Esteem Counselor. I am here to support you along your journey with a clinical road map and conversation to make your journey easier to endure.
I enjoy engaging them in the detective work of exploring the ways their core values were formed and the cognitive biases and distortions that may have formed as a result.
I am a licensed clinical social worker with 25 plus years of experience specializing in Culturally Based Therapy, Christian Counseling, Anxiety, Loss, Life Transitions, Relationships, Family, Couples, Diversity, Inclusion, and Narcissistic Abuse. I work with a diversity of clients and would welcome the opportunity to support you as you navigate through this phase of your life's journey.
First session
During the intake appointment, I will briefly introduce my clinical experience and discuss the reasons that prompted you to begin therapy at this time. I'll ask you to describe your desired outcomes so that I can guide you effectively. We'll identify who is part of your support system and any potential challenges, past traumas, or behavioral patterns from your formative years that might impact our work together. If you're new to therapy, I'll explain how diagnoses are made, the purpose of the psychosocial questions I'll be asking, and the various assessments I'll administer to evaluate your current and future needs. This will also help in collaborating with other providers and making necessary referrals.
Strengths
The name of my private practice is Esteem Counseling LLC. I am passionate about working with those that have a sense that they are flawed individuals. Those that struggle to connect with others and believe as if they have no worth or little worth in comparison to others. I enjoy helping clients see their intrinsic value. I enjoy engaging them in the detective work of exploring the ways their core values were formed and the cognitive biases and distortions that may have formed as a result. I enjoy seeing the light in individuals’ eyes when they realize how these thoughts have shaped their emotions and behavior throughout the years and the relief to know they aren't innately flawed and empowered to change how they show up in life by changing their beliefs.
Ideal clients
Working with clients navigating interpersonal conflicts, self-esteem challenges, and dating or relationship hurdles is a deeply rewarding part of my practice. I am passionate about helping individuals unpack complex relational dynamics, build robust self-worth, and foster healthier connections. Together, we identify destructive patterns, establish firm boundaries, and cultivate the practical communication tools needed to build fulfilling, lasting relationships with both themselves and others.
Origin story
I was raised in a community in Alton, Illinois referred to as "Mexico". It was the kind of community that everyone knew everyone and by the time I got home my parents knew if I'd done anything that I shouldn't have. There was a lot of love in Mexico, yet there was a lot of pain due to various socio economic issues. Having an awareness of these issues at a young age is what motivated me to go into the field of social work.
Ongoing work together
Progress in our work together will be reflected both in periodic re-assessments of your symptoms and in your lived experience. You will see tangible movement when old emotional hurdles lose their intensity, your support system feels more meaningful, and you feel equipped with sustainable tools to manage future stressors independently.
Treatment methods
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I was taught Solution Focused Brief Therapy by the late Insoo Kim Berg, a pioneering psychotherapist whose husband, Steve De Shazer, developed the field. Utilizing it in my work, I help individuals deal with stress, anxiety, mild depression, relationship problems, and occasional family disputes.
Motivational Interviewing
Along with a cohort of trained peers, I received monthly critiques of my calls and training in Motivational Interviewing (MI) from William Miller, the co-founder of MI. I use MI when a client is ambivalent and thinking about making a change in their lifestyle.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Doesn't specialize in
- Addiction
- Addiction / Substance Use
- Bipolar Disorder
- Child or Adolescent
- Childhood / Intergenerational Trauma
- Chronic Illness / Medical Issues
- Depression
- Grief
- Health/Medical Issues
- High Clinical Acuity
- Medication Management
- Military/Veterans
- Postpartum
- Serious Mental Illness / Crisis
- Sex Therapy
- Sexual Health
- Trauma and PTSD