HEATHER LEAVESLEY - Intro

Experience - In 2005 I established a psychotherapy private practice serving individuals and couples. I have 10 years experience working with clients with limited ability to pay for services at MDS Counseling Center, formerly Maria Droste Services.

Treatment Areas - My treatment specialty areas include:

Relationships

Depression

Family of Origin work

Grief and Losses

Life Transitions

Trauma Recovery

Parenting

Staying Sober

My Philosophy and Approach – Healing, growth, and change can be excruciating as well as hard work. My role is to be a sherpa and as such:

Help define the path

Be supportive in the development of personal strengths, maturity, and resilience needed for the journey

Provide tools and sustenance along the way, provide input for decisions and choices

Help in keeping perspective, and be there to celebrate progress

My approach is hopeful, and trusts in your resources and strengths. My intent is to be practical above all else so that you realize meaningful healing, growth, and change. I attempt to:

Connect – Provide a relationship that serves as a crucible for therapy.

Understand – Witness and validate your experience.

Ground – Establish insight into origins of and theoretical explanations for your struggles.

Heal – Process your experience.

Grow – Foster maturity and provide new models, skills, tools, and approaches.

Treatment Methods - I employ an eclectic mix of treatment modalities including Client Centered, Cognitive/Behavioral, Psycho-education, Journaling, Focusing, and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). My work is informed by Development Theory (Object Relations and Self Psychology), Family Systems Theory, as well as by Pia Mellody’s treatment models for Developmental Immaturity, and Terry Real’s treatment model for Relational Recovery.

Education - My educational accomplishments include a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College in Psychobiology, and a Master of Arts degree from University of Colorado – Denver in Clinical Psychology.

Recognitions received during my academic career include being elected into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and presenting a paper at a Rocky Mountain APA Conference.