– Albert Camus
"...and the time came
when the risk
to remain in a tight bud
was more painful
than the risk it took to bloom."
– Anaïs Nin
"Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself."
– Miles Davis
Trained and licensed in the US (California), Leslie is a psychotherapist who has opened and run private practice offices in California and France. During her 12 years in Aix en Provence, she offered counseling and community services to Anglophone clients in Aix and the PACA region. She has worked with individuals, families and groups to cope with and overcome a variety of challenges including:
• Culture shock/cultural adjustment
• Study abroad adjustment
• Anxiety and depression
• Study abroad adjustment
• Anxiety and depression
• Eating disorders
• Stress management
• Relationship problems
• Stress management
• Relationship problems
• Communication
• Anger management
• Grief and loss
• Parenting support
• Giving full expression to Creativity
• Grief and loss
• Parenting support
• Giving full expression to Creativity
It is her mission as a psychotherapist to create a safe and confidential environment and to facilitate all individuals to develop greater trust, compassion, clarity and choice so that they may live with greater meaning, awareness and peace of mind.
Her primary therapeutic focus is on transition as she has found, in her 25+ years of working with people, that change is often the basis of many personal and interpersonal challenges and crises. What may seem like obstacles that arise from transition are valuable opportunities for personal exploration and growth.
She currently provides consulting services to universities and organizations receiving international students and scholars for employment or study abroad experiences with a specialty in Wellness Abroad.
Leslie has served as an innovative educator and consultant and has been active in the counseling and prevention of child and spousal physical and sexual abuse. She has led groups on parenting, mothers and daughters in healing dialogues, meditation and creativity. She has also developed stress management, wellness and yoga programs in corporate settings, including Merrill Lynch in San Francisco and the Department of Defense in Southern California. She has served as a co-director of a scientific study funded by NIH (National Institute of Health) and conducted through UCSD (University of California at San Diego) exploring the effectiveness of two meditation protocols in the treatment of OCD. She has developed and served as the first director of the wellness program at IAU College in Aix en Provence (Institute for American Universities).
In 2004, after 15 years of private practice in California, Leslie made the leap to Aix en Provence. As a result, she understands the phenomenon and complications of “culture shock”, a transition that was a rich opportunity for her own personal growth. She returned to California in 2015 after many years in France and currently call both places 'home'.
For more information contact:
leslie13100[at]gmail.com
