LCSW, 20 years of experience
New to Grow
Welcome to A Ray of Hope Therapy! My name is Leslie Ray. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Arizona. I received my Masters in Social Work, a Masters in Education (Human Exceptionality-Neurodivergence) and earned an Addictions Counseling Certificate. I obtained my a Masters of Education Degree from Idaho State University, along with an Addictions Counseling Certificate. I completed my Masters Degree of Social Work from Walla Walla University. Continuing professional educational trainings are ways I stay current in counseling. My education and experience has assisted me with developing a range of individualized methods that informs me the best type of therapy you will benefit from. I have 20 years of mental health and education experience. The areas I focus on are: trauma, grief/loss, attachment/abandonment, narcissistic abuse, substance use, depression, mood disorders, anxiety, insomnia, stress reduction, working with folks with special needs and neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, mature adults, and marginalized populations. The opportunities I have had to serve, support and provide a safe space for a variety of individuals, from various cultures, age groups, and diverse backgrounds, have been rewarding, especially when my clients express that they feel hopeful and have benefited even from first session. My genuine, strengths-based, humanistic approach is client-centered, warm, validating, and empathatic. It is my goal to continue to empower and assist my client's towards rewarding and favorable outcomes. My commitments to you are listening, helping you to see your full human value, seeing you as an individual, and seeking resolutions together, so I can best support you towards restoring or building your hope and reaching your goals. Counseling is team work. I look forward to working together and encouraging you along your journey towards hope and healing.
First of all, we will engage in a brief introduction including "what has brought you to Grow Therapy today?" I like clients to feel free to express themselves when you are in a safe, non-judgmental space. 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.
According to my clients, my strengths are: warmth, kindness, welcoming, a good listener, having patience, 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 favorably add that the problem solving techniques that were taught could be easily applied to any situation. Clients would report that I 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, was reported by clients as reassuring. The Individuals that find the most the benefit from working with me are often compassionate humans seeking a safe space to feel heard, needing support when they feel confused, stuck, or overwhelmed in their lives. My strengths are here to guide you, share what I see through the lens you describe, as you share your experiences in the world. Offering insight and empowering you to develop self-awareness and navigating you through the path of options. are some supportive ways to meet your path of peace.
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.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) assists clients recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors by successfully teaching practical skills to address any unfounded, negative thoughts and challenge negative thinking patterns. As humans, we are often critical and harsh on ourselves. If you are seeking positive changes, why not take the next step toward reaching your full potential.
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is an approach to assist clients to be kinder to themselves by providing individuals with skills to quiet their inner negative critic, reduce shame, build self-acceptance, enhance self-esteem and improve self-empowerment. We will work on building self-compassion to improve emotional well-being, particularly for clients who struggle with self-judgment, self-acceptance, or experience feelings of unworthiness. My overall approach offers a supportive safe and calm space to grow and heal in this journey called life.
I embrace a strengths-based, culturally sensitive therapeutic approach that respects each individual’s background, beliefs, values, and traditions. Always considering first how culture, race, identity, and experiences shape a person’s feelings and values, making sure therapy feels safe, supportive, inclusive, meaningful and client-centered. It is my genuine belief that all people deserve a non-judgemental affirming space. It is my goal to provide a welcoming, growth-focused mindset to assist you in striving, not just surviving. I will assist you in discovering that we are all valuable and worthy humans deserving of care and support.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) assists clients in managing and regulating intense, overwhelming emotions, improve relationships, and cope with stress by learning helpful strategies to stay focused in the present moment. DBT is interwoven with other approaches to assist in reaching your goals.
Motivational Interviewing is one counseling modality that promotes internal motivation to make changes, by using a collaborative, positive behavioral approach through exploration and resolving hesitancy and conflict. Motivational Interviewing is beneficial in working with individuals with substance use issues, and parenting challenges, and other mental health concerns. I incorporate self-determination theory that emphasizes an individual's autonomy to choose, their competency to make changes and promote an individuals ability to achieve their desired outcomes and to control their own behaviors.