Dr. Leslie Peña-Sullivan, DSW, LCSW

As a second-generation Latina and licensed clinical social worker, I understand the unique emotional experiences that can come with navigating multiple cultures, family expectations, and generational patterns while also trying to care for yourself. Many of the clients I work with are high-achieving professionals, first-generation college students, adult children of immigrants, caregivers, and women who have spent much of their lives being “the strong one” for everyone else. 

You may feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, anxious, disconnected from yourself, or guilty when trying to set boundaries with family.  You may struggle with people-pleasing, perfectionism, hyper-independence, panic, burnout, or feeling caught between honoring your culture and protecting your mental health.  Sometimes clients tell me they feel” ni de aquí, ni de allá” — not fully belonging anywhere.  Therapy can be a space where those experiences are explored with compassion, cultural understanding, and without judgment.

I specialize in trauma-informed therapy with first- and second-generation immigrants, Latinx individuals, and adults navigating anxiety, complex trauma, identity stress, family conflict, relationship stress, burnout, and major life transitions.  I also work with women navigating pregnancy, postpartum transitions, motherhood, fertility-related stress, and the emotional impact of intergenerational trauma within bicultural family systems.

My approach is warm, collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in evidence-based treatment. I integrate trauma-focused therapy, CBT, psychodynamic insight, attachment-focused work, and nervous system regulation strategies to help clients better understand themselves, process painful experiences, improve boundaries, reduce anxiety, and build healthier relationships with themselves and others.

Before private practice, I completed a post-master’s fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center, where I received advanced training in evidence-based trauma treatment.  I hold a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work and also teach graduate social work courses focused on trauma, immigrant mental health, diversity, and social justice.

I believe therapy should feel human. My goal is to create a space where you feel seen, understood, and supported as you do the deeper work of healing and growth.  Whether you are processing trauma, navigating identity and family stress, or simply feeling emotionally overwhelmed, you do not have to carry it alone.