About Leah

I am a divinity school graduate who has spent the past decade doing community care and organizing, particularly in disability justice spaces.

My primary influences are Internal Family Systems, Buddhist psychology, and somatic psychology. I am always learning and exploring new ways to do my own work and support others.

I believe that there is wisdom in all of our parts, including the ones we want to hide from ourselves and the world. I want to support you in connecting with the hurting parts of yourself with respect and compassion, in connecting with your purpose, and in learning to live from a deepening place of love and groundedness.

I am passionate about working with clients who are LGBTQI+ and/or neurodivergent. Issues I am particularly experienced with being present with include chronic pain and illness, eco-anxiety, existential issues, grief, and trauma.

In my daily life, I like to spend my time walking in nature, having deep conversations with friends, meditating, engaging in spiritual practice, doing yoga or qigong, volunteering with mutual aid groups, and supporting community.

Academic background

BA in Psychology
Master of Theological Studies
• Including graduate courses in: Psychodynamic theory and Spirituality, Rites of Transformation and Initiation, and Spiritual Care and Counseling

Influences

My philosophy is informed by, among others:

• Buddhist psychology and meditation
• Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems and Susan McConnell’s Somatic Internal Family Systems
• Jungian psychology and shadow work
• The InterPlay Life Practice Program
• Disability justice and the healing justice movement
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk and Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing

Land acknowledgement

The lands on which I work and live as a white settler are the traditional territories of the Duwamish and other Coast Salish peoples. A land acknowledgement is a gesture of respect and awareness. This acknowledgement is only one part of the ongoing disruptive work needed for reconciliation and decolonization.

Racial Justice

Much of the knowledge around healing and somatic practices that I hold has its roots in cultures that are not my own. In particular, indigenous cultures around the world have been the traditional knowledge holders of many plant traditions. I am committed to ongoing learning around white supremacy, and the ways it shows up in healing spaces.