Meet Lea
Explore your past,
understand your present,
transform your future.
Are you experiencing stress and disconnect in your relationships?
Do you want to grow connection and compassion with yourself and loved ones?
Do you notice cycles of unhelpful patterns that have been passed down through generations, want to change them, but don't know where to start?
You've come to the right place.
I work with individuals (16 and older) and couples who are struggling with relationship issues and want to process how past dynamics and traumas impact their present selves, so they are looking for a therapist who understands complex relationship dynamics and also prioritizes being human.
What Therapy with Lea is Like
I create a safe and collaborative space where first and foremost it is safe to be yourself. I take things at your pace and prioritize trust and safety. You will often hear me say, “You have the gas pedal and the brakes.”
In this space I will guide you through learning more about and expressing different parts of yourself, all while growing self-compassion.
In session I am also myself, which means using laughter when appropriate, swearing if clients are comfortable, and perhaps most importantly, always leading with compassion.
I believe that you have all that you need to heal inside of you, and together, we will discover and unlock the strengths you already have in order to make the changes you’ve been wanting.
What Clients Say
My clients tell me they are able to be fully themselves in session. They’re able to open up, explore different parts of themselves, and feel comfortable sharing things they perhaps never have before. They describe me as compassionate, passionate, and human.
They tell me that they appreciate me being real with them, offering validation, all the while challenging them in a gentle way that fosters growth. They appreciate the balance I find between being myself, while also being professional.
Clients tell me that they leave session feeling empowered and motivated to implement the opportunities for change that we identified together. They no longer feel limited by beliefs such as “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not worthy,” and instead they feel more confident in and compassionate towards themselves.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Click below and complete the contact form to schedule a FREE 15 minute phone consultation.
How I Can Help You:
-
Create relationships that honor and serve you. Learn to set boundaries, effectively communicate, and build awareness of how past relationships impact your present ones. By exploring how the past impacts the present, you improve the relationships in your life, starting with the relationship with yourself.
-
Explore the impact of and reprocess past traumatic experiences while connecting with hope and healing. Create and find empowerment in order to no longer feel overwhelmed and limited by your past, and create the future you want.
-
From depression and anxiety, to time management and stress, college students go through unique challenges and deserve therapy that is tailored to them. College students in NY can learn practical skills to help make these the years you’ve been wanting them to be.
-
Explore your relationship with sex and create a satisfying sex life in a safe and non-judgemental environment. Including topics such as identity, sexuality, sexual trauma, desire, painful sex, and more.
My Approach
-
EMDR
Do you experience feelings of worthlessness, being a burden, or hold onto self blame? You may know that these aren’t true, yet they feel true. This is because trauma is stored in your body. EMDR targets negative beliefs such as these (and others) and reprocesses traumatic experiences in order to foster new positive beliefs. Whether it is a single, isolated, trauma, or complex trauma throughout the lifetime. EMDR can help you restore hope and find healing from the past.
-
Couples Therapy
Do you find yourselves in an unhelpful cycle full of blame, defensiveness, and criticism? You feel unheard in your relationship and no matter what you seem to try, you are having trouble communicating? In couples therapy, we will grow each of your communication skills to increase compassion and understanding. By learning to be curious rather than defensive, you will naturally soften towards one other, which increases your ability to hear one another.
-
Online Therapy
Have you been wanting to start therapy, but can’t imagine adding one more thing into your already busy schedule? With online therapy in New York, you can make therapy come to you when it works for you. Online therapy provides increased access to services both with convenience and the fact that whether you are in New York City, the Hudson Valley, or Rochester, and more, we can work together. Don’t let distance or convenience be a barrier in your mental health journey!
-
Systemic Lens
Whether working with an individual or a couple, I view all of my clients through a systemic lens. This means that I see you (and the problems you experience) as part of a "solar system". I take the time to get to know your family of origin, your current relationships, and other important relationships in your life. We will grow awareness of roles and dynamics and how they impact you today, in order to intentionally show up in relationships in a way that honors you.
My Education & Credentials
Education
Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy and a concentration in Sex Therapy from Jefferson University
B.S. in Human Development and minors in WGS and Spanish from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!)
Credentials
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (License # 001846)
EMDR basic training complete
Gottman Level 1 Trained
Voted “Best Therapist in the Hudson Valley 2023” by Hudson Valley Magazine
Voted #1 Therapist/Counselor in the 2023 Chronogrammies
I began my training at the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia. After graduation I worked as a Trauma Therapist at a Women's Resource Center for survivors of interpersonal violence.
Have Questions?
For information about insurance, fees, online therapy, and more…