Rated 4.7 stars out of 5, 121 ratings

Leesa Varela

LMFT, 15 years of experience

Warm
Authentic
Empowering
Virtual
Next available on

Compassionate, open-minded, strength-based care is Leesa’s goal for every client, as she helps you to navigate difficult life stressors and address trauma wounds that can cause symptoms of anxiety, depression, acute or post-traumatic stress, addiction, relational conflict, employment/academic impairment, etc. She uses EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), Brainspotting, Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral (DBT) and Family Systems interventions to create an individualized treatment plan that's ideal for you!

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

Leesa believes that successful therapy is a partnership that relies on your personal wisdom and her ability to truly understand you to create an effective treatment plan for positive change and increased emotional fulfillment. She looks forward to meeting you!

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

Leesa is passionate about helping clients feels safe, not judged and listened to with empathy and concern to address emotional pain and/or trauma. It’s her privilege to be able to support you as quickly as possible, with evening and weekend availability.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

With 15 years of clinical experience, Leesa has been affiliated with Westlake Village Counseling and Trauma Center since 2018. She enjoys working with young adults struggling to establish independence, families in crisis, couples considering separation/divorce, law enforcement officers/first responders, and those seeking effective parenting strategies.

Rated 4.7 stars out of 5, 121 ratings

17 ratings with written reviews

August 1, 2025

Leesa was warm, incredibly knowledgeable, and an excellent listener. I truly appreciated her patience and the genuine sympathy she brought to our session—it made me feel heard, supported, and at ease.

Verified client, age 35-44

Review shared after session 1 with Leesa

June 5, 2025

I am so thankful that I discovered Leesa. I was taken by her experience and background immediately, and she provides very comprehensive care. She is warm and very accessible. I feel comfortable sharing with her and being truly open and honest with about my mental health. I highly recommend her to anyone.

Verified client, age 45-54

Review shared after session 12 with Leesa

May 24, 2025

Leesa is easy to talk with. She asks insightful questions and tracks overtime how things change. She clearly cares about me and how I'm doing. She ties things together over several sessions -- like identifying the thread or patterns. I highly recommend Leesa as a therapist.

Verified client, age 55-64

Review shared after session 11 with Leesa

About Leesa Varela

I identify as

Specialties

Trauma and PTSD

Serves ages

Licensed in

Appointments

Virtual

My treatment methods

EMDR

I am a Levels 1 & 2 Trained EMDR practitioner who relies on this intervention to provide comprehensive trauma-informed care.

Brainspotting

I am a Level 1 Trained Brainspotting practitioner who uses this intervention to provide comprehensive trauma-informed care.

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I have extensive training in and reliance on CBT interventions for addressing cognitive distortions and building coping skills.

Structural Family Therapy

Structural Family Therapy interventions are used to develop a better understanding of one's family system, which can be invaluable when treating trauma wounds.

Dialectical Behavior (DBT)

DBT interventions are used to help clients increase emotional regulation levels.