More About Leslie

When I was 15 years old, I deeply struggled with my own body and found changing my eating habits and exercise gave me a sense of control and power. As a survivor of childhood trauma, I was still living in the environment that caused me harm and found my only solace to be my disordered eating. I finally found a sense of inner comfort that temporarily could quiet the big feelings inside. These feelings were not safe to feel, let alone express. Controlling my body gave me the control to not feel and lessened my anxiety. And I hated myself for not understanding what was happening. In fact I felt out of control, and alone. It was a very scary time.

This battle went on for over 10 years.

Then things began to shift. After many years of therapy, I was finally able to feel my anger and was able to set needed boundaries in relationships that were harmful. For me, my struggle with food and my body were my coping mechanism helping me make sense of my childhood trauma and the trauma within my ancestral lineages (race and colonalism).

It was not until many years later when I was introduced to Internal Family Systems and Yoga/Somatic Practices that I was able to heal internal wounds and finally gain a sense of inner safety. I was able to let go and move through the pain. My inner Bully shifted to an inner Mentor, my inner Trouble-maker moved into an inner Advocate.

My body has never felt freer and more alive.

Work Experience & Training

Work Experience:

As a licensed social worker for 20 years:

• Own and led private practice for 5 years

• Consult and run groups for addiction, eating disorders, body image difficulties, and trauma history.

• Managed clinical oversight for a girls and boys residential home for teens with trauma

• Worked as a community organizer in Chicago, advocating for support on a policy level to individuals and families

• Led as Director of junior high, high school, and transition programs at a therapy school for teens with high Anxiety, ASD, and co-morbid diagnoses. Supervised and managed therapists (OTs, Social Workers, Speech Therapists), and teachers

• Taught ESL programs for adults living in Chicago who recently immigrated to the US

Training:

• BS in Social Work, MSW in International Social Work and Community Development

• Level 1 Internal Family Systems- completed 2023

• Level 2 Internal Family Systems-set to complete February 2024

• 200 Teacher Training at Return Yoga- completed 2020

• 6 year study of the Yoga Sutras by Karin Carlson- set to complete 2026

• Certified in Yoga for Trauma

• Certified in Anxiety Treatment for Children and Adolescents

• Attachment Theory