LCSW, 4 years of experience
New to Grow
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners–approved Clinical Supervisor, providing telehealth services across Arizona and Maine. I offer individualized therapy for adults and couples, integrating EMDR, CBT, DBT skills, EFT, ACT, and SFBT approaches to address trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges since 2021. With experience as both clinician and supervisor, Leslie emphasizes ethical, trauma-informed care and the creation of emotionally safe, supportive spaces for growth. Her background in gender-based violence prevention and higher education advocacy further informs her compassionate and collaborative approach to helping clients foster resilience and balance in their lives.
Our first session will include a brief intake conversation about where you've been, where you are now, and where you'd like to be. We will then draft a treatment plan, review any pertinent information from the intake forms, and get you scheduled for ongoing appointments at a frequency that meets your goals and budget.
Therapy is a strange and awesome service because in any other service position, all you really need to consider is the price and competence of the provider. In therapy, you have to shop for not only competence, but you have to actually feel comfortable with your therapist's personality, too! Many of my clients report that they had tried therapy before, and found it unsuccessful due to not being able to connect with the previous therapist. I take pride in the fact that I receive a lot of positive feedback about my validating and nonjudgmental approach to providing clients with options, not directives. Clients report they often feel very comfortable with me by the end of the first session!
My ideal clients are adults who are students, parents, professionals, caregivers, and those experiencing high stress, life transitions, depression, anxiety, or generalized burnout. I specialize in addressing unresolved trauma, PTSD, as well as individuals navigating challenging relationship difficulties, attachment wounds, self-worth issues, going through a breakup, divorce, career changes, or other major life shifts. I also have significant experience in supporting survivors of historical or acute dating or domestic violence, addictions, and various forms of grief. My specialty is complex trauma and the many ways it shows up in the present. I offer a direct and compassionate, solution-focused service, providing maximum benefit each session. Individuals who appreciate structured sessions using evidence-based techniques with an interactive therapist are encouraged to reach out. I offer traditional psychotherapy services, including EMDR, via telehealth. I hope you know that taking the first step, even searching for a therapist online, is a huge first step in getting and feeling better!
Prior to LCSW licensure, I developed trauma-informed trainings for a variety of professions including educators and law enforcement. Approaching all methods of therapy with a trauma-informed lens is my top priority.
ACT helps develop psychological flexibility by accepting thoughts and feelings without criticism, and by committing to acting in line with their values. ACT is based on the idea that pain, grief, and other challenges are inevitable parts of life, and the goal is to help people adapt to them in adaptive ways.
Problematic, automatic thoughts influence our behaviors. Many clients want to change their actions but don't know where to start. CBT essentially helps us map out the desired changes.
EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma much as the body recovers from physical trauma. When you cut your hand, your body works to close the wound. If a foreign object or repeated injury irritates the wound, it festers and causes pain. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. EMDR therapy demonstrates that a similar sequence of events occurs with mental processes. The brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. If the system is blocked or imbalanced by the impact of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. (https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr)