Hi, I'm Leslie (she/her)
Leslie (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA) and mother of two who holds a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She believes that when children are given space to express themselves through play and creative exploration and feel truly understood, they naturally move toward growth and healing.
Before pursuing clinical licensure, Leslie built a rich foundation working directly with children and families. She holds a Master of Arts in Childhood Education from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College, and spent a decade serving kindergarten through sixth grade students across New York City, Atlanta, and Wake County public schools as a teacher and literacy specialist. In these roles, she cultivated attuned, engaging learning environments and developed a deep understanding of children's intellectual, social, emotional, and developmental worlds, experience that continues to shape her identity as a perceptive, grounded clinician.
Population Served
Techniques Utilized
My Journey as a Therapist
Leslie specializes in supporting parents and children from birth through adolescence with parent-child relationship concerns, sensory processing sensitivities, emotional and behavioral challenges, anxiety, trauma, neurodiversity, and childhood adversity. Her approach is strengths-based, culturally informed, and integrates mindfulness, honoring the full and unique experience each child brings into the room. She practices Child-Centered Play Therapy and Synergetic Play Therapy under the clinical supervision of Sara Bagramian, LCSW, RPT-S.
Supporting the mental wellness of BIPOC children and families navigating systemic and cultural challenges is not simply Leslie's work; it is her commitment to her community. She meets every family with compassion, respect, and genuine acceptance, and holds a deep belief in the power of the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for meaningful change. Leslie's personal faith serves as a quiet anchor in her practice, grounding her in purpose and sustaining a non-judgmental heart for families walking through difficult seasons.
Leslie also brings specialized attachment-based training through her years as a certified Attachment and Bio-behavioral Catch-Up (ABC) parent coach, gained through the UNC RISE research study, an evidence-based initiative examining whether targeted parenting intervention can reduce the biological and psychological effects of early adversity and chronic stress on young children ages 20 months to four years. In this role, she coached parents in Durham and surrounding counties toward more sensitive, responsive, and nurturing care for their children. As a parent herself, Leslie brings firsthand understanding of the complexity of parenting across developmental stages and life's inevitable challenges.
Leslie joined Oak City Counseling in summer 2026 and has limited availability for parents and children from birth through the teen years.
Education
Master of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Master of Arts in Childhood Education, New York University
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Spelman College
Licenses, Certifications & Awards
