Valeria Leija, LPC-Associate

People are not their traumas or hardships.

No one is purely defined by their struggles. We are complex beings capable of so much when we believe in our abilities. With me, therapy is a place to turn the specific adversities life has handed you into a foundation for healing. 

Living through trauma isn’t easy. Surviving can be even more difficult at times. You might look completely fine on the outside, laughing, talking, going to work, hanging out with people, and going about life like anyone else. But on the inside, your brain is struggling to figure out who you can trust, who is out to do harm… always waiting for something bad to happen. Sometimes the smallest things will set it off. A sound, a smell, a place, somebody saying something a certain way will bring it all back. You are right back in the place where you were hurt. When it happens you might be physically in the room, but your body and mind are elsewhere. You are in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. From there the only thought, if thoughts are happening at all, is about finding a safe place. 

Surviving trauma isn’t enough to help you live a fulfilling, connected, and joyful life. To be fully alive, we have to be able to be present and to overcome the instinct to treat any moment of uncertainty with fear and panic. Making this change can be especially challenging if you are juggling other adversities as well. It can feel lonely, isolating you from not only enjoyment of daily life, but other people who are important in your life. Now is the best time to change this cycle. Your life can be yours once again.

The exhaustion from being constantly on guard is not true safety. I offer a path toward safety by creating a calm, quiet, and kind place to connect and feel understood.

My Therapeutic Approach

I view the therapeutic relationship as a collaborative space for healing, one where we work together to understand and transform the patterns that have brought you to where you are today. The connection we share is supported by trust, honoring your emotional boundaries while encouraging you toward your goals at a pace that is right for you. I’m passionate about helping people rediscover joy and meaning in everyday life.

My practice is trauma informed, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and grounded in understanding the systems you live within. One of my personal strengths as a therapist is my deep awareness of systemic oppression and how it impacts our mental health. I am committed to growing my understanding of your lived experiences and to ensuring I am able to be responsive, holistic, and effective as your therapist. Together, we’ll build skills, resilience, and a greater sense of balance and fulfillment, one step at a time.

I am an activist at heart and support marginalized and oppressed communities.  I support the Black Lives Matter Movement and any movement having to do with the protection of POC. I build my sessions around ensuring my clients show up as themselves. I am an ally through and through.

A Catalyst for Change

Our therapeutic relationship is the catalyst for the changes ahead!  

​From the start, I make sure we build a strong foundation by spending time together where you express not only your reasons for coming to therapy or your goals, but your strengths, hopes, and supports too!

I will focus our early sessions on getting to know you, so you can expect lots of curiosity from me. My priority is your comfort so I will check in with you while I pay attention to what comes up for you emotionally and lean in to learning how different topics affect you somatically. We will find ways for you to stay mindful and grounded, and put our energies into releasing any emotions that keep you feeling stuck in your day-to-day life.

Valeria Leija, LPC-Associate