
Alex Leslie
Areas of practice
- Adolescent Issues
- Anxiety and/or Panic
- Attention Deficit Disorder - ADHD
- Autism and Developmental Disorders
- COVID-19 Stress, Anxiety and Depression
- Depression
- LGBTQ Issues
Approaches used
- ADD and ADHD Coping Strategies
- Adolescent Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
- Mindfulness approaches
- Narrative Therapy
- ONLINE / VIRTUAL / TELEHEALTH COUNSELLING
- Process Work
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Relational Psychotherapy
- Telephone Counselling
- Video Counselling
Counselling practice website:
www.understorycounselling.comPractice information:
RCC RCSW
I see adolescents 14-19 years old and adults 20+.
Currently I am practicing virtually and over the phone. If needed, I can meet you at an office in Kitsilano, masked and socially-distanced with mutual assurance of double-vaccination, or for walk-and-talk outdoor therapy in Richmond.
Depending on how stressed out you are, it may feel like you’re constantly on high alert or like you’re living in a soundproof glass box, cut off from others. You might have been told you’re "oversensitive" or have no filters. You may have a hard time focusing on conversations with co-workers and family. Perhaps you wonder if you’re the only one around who experiences the world with the intensity you do. You may be frustrated with yourself for not being able to get things together and just move forward, but the pandemic has made everything harder, and it feels like there are always too many moving parts.
With curiosity and open-mindedness, I'll work with you to uncover new perspectives on your story. I believe that growth is possible when we are witnessed in all of our complexity and sensitivity. I’ve had great success in helping neurodivergent people (ADHD, autism, giftedness) have more satisfying relationships.
Services:
•Explore fears and worries in a safe space
•Name and shift painful thought patterns
•Work with negative/hard-to-control thoughts
•Respond to physical sensations of worry
•Increase awareness of and compassion for your unique qualities
•Burnout
•Self-kindness and re-setting
•De-pathologize and supporting neurodivergent experiences in work/life
About Me:
I am a therapist with over ten years of experience in the mental health field, having worked for the public mental health system in community counselling and hospital-based acute mental health assessment. I am a Registered Clinical Social Worker (license #12477). I have post-graduate training in Narrative Therapy, DBT and cultural safety in working with Indigenous people. My work with teens includes work with youth struggling with addiction and youth who have experienced deep loss and early-life chaos. My approach to counselling is relational and rooted in respect for difference. I use a neurodiversity-affirming framework, meaning that I view the challenges faced by neurodivergent people as primarily resulting from misconception and lack of understanding and support and not as a "problem" in the person.
Phone: 604 757 0342
Contact me by phone or use the link below to book a free 15 minute phone consultation, which is for you to get a sense of if we're a good fit. If you can't find a time that works for you in my calendar, get in touch and we'll find a time that works.
Specialized training:
- Narrative Therapy (Evanston Family Therapy Centre, Chicago, Intensive Level I)
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (Vancouver DBT Institute)
- Cultural Safety in working with Indigenous people (Sayas program, Provincial Health Services Authority)
- Trauma-Informed Play Therapy Approaches (Starbright Institute)
Client fee individuals:
150Availability:
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EveningLate | Available | Available | Available |