Carla Leslie
I'm Carla Leslie, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with more than 10 years of experience helping adolescents ages 13 and up, adults, older adults, and families. I provide virtual therapy for anxiety, depression, stress, family conflict, relationship challenges, and life transitions. My approach is supportive, straightforward, and collaborative. I take time to understand your experiences and what matters to you, offering honest feedback with compassion and without judgment. Together, we'll explore patterns that may be keeping you stuck and work toward changes that fit your needs and goals.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 10+ years of experience offering honest, compassionate therapy for anxiety, depression, family conflict, and life transitions.
I draw on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and meditation-based strategies to help you manage difficult emotions, strengthen coping skills, and communicate more clearly. Whether you're navigating challenges at school or home, changing relationships, caregiving, retirement, or loss, we'll work at a pace that respects your needs while keeping your goals in focus.
First session
We'll begin by talking about what brings you to therapy, what has been difficult, and what you would like to change. I'll ask about your history, current concerns, and what has or hasn't helped in the past so we can understand the bigger picture—not just the symptoms. You'll have time to ask questions and get a sense of my approach. Together, we'll identify initial priorities and discuss a plan that fits your needs. You don't need to have everything figured out before we meet.
Strengths
I bring careful listening, a steady presence, and honest, direct feedback delivered with compassion and patience. I won't rush you; we'll move at a pace that lets real change take hold. I ask thoughtful questions, notice patterns that are easy to miss, and help you put them into words. I'm comfortable with strong emotions and tense family dynamics, and I keep sessions calm and focused so everyone has a chance to be heard. You can expect a clear, practical approach with enough structure to make progress and enough flexibility to meet you where you are, working with teens, adults, and older adults.
Ideal clients
I work with teens ages 13 and up, adults, and older adults navigating anxiety, depression, family conflict, or life transitions. You may be feeling overwhelmed, experiencing tension in your relationships, adjusting to a new stage of life, or noticing patterns you'd like to understand and change. You may want to manage difficult emotions, strengthen communication, build confidence, or feel more grounded in everyday life. My approach is a good fit for clients who value thoughtful questions, honest feedback delivered with compassion, and a collaborative approach to therapy. You don't need clear goals or all the right words before we begin, we'll work together to understand your concerns and identify what matters to you, at a pace that fits your needs.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is the foundation of my work. Together, we'll look at how your thoughts, feelings, and actions affect one another, especially the patterns that keep anxiety, low mood, or conflict going. I'll help you notice unhelpful thoughts, test how accurate they really are, and replace them with more balanced, realistic ones. We'll also practice concrete skills you can use between sessions, at a pace that fits you. My goal is for you to leave with tools you can keep using long after therapy ends.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I bring mindfulness and meditation into sessions to help you slow down and notice what you're thinking and feeling without judging yourself for it. This may include short guided practices, breathing and grounding exercises, or simply learning to pause before reacting. These skills can help quiet racing thoughts, lower stress, and help you respond more calmly to difficult emotions or tense moments at home. I often pair mindfulness with CBT and adjust practices to your comfort level, so no meditation experience is needed.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I use solution-focused strategies to keep our work centered on what you want to be different in your life. Rather than only analyzing problems, we'll look at times when things went a little better, what was different then, and the strengths you already have. From there, we'll set clear goals and identify small, realistic steps toward them. "Brief" describes the focus, not the pace. I use this approach within ongoing therapy as well as shorter-term work, and we'll take the time you need.
Supportive
Sometimes what you need most is a steady, nonjudgmental place to be heard. Supportive therapy gives you room to talk openly about what you're carrying, whether that's stress, grief, a health change, caregiving, or a major life transition. I listen carefully, help you sort through your feelings, and strengthen the coping skills that already help you get through hard days. I'll also offer honest perspective when it's useful. This approach can be especially helpful during difficult seasons and can build a foundation for deeper work when you're ready.
Strength-Based
I believe every client brings real strengths, even when they're hard to see in the middle of a struggle. In strengths-based therapy, we'll identify your skills, values, relationships, and past successes, and then put them to work on your current challenges. For teens, this can build confidence and self-esteem. For families, it can shift the focus from blame to what each person contributes. For adults and older adults, it draws on resilience built over a lifetime. I'll be honest about what's hard while making sure your strengths are part of the plan.
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Licensed in
- FloridaLicense MH15457