About Me
Hello!
My name is Léonie (LAY-uh-nee).
Nice to meet you!
I’m here because I know firsthand the amazing, transformative power of therapy!
Perhaps you’re here because you know your life can be better and you’re brave enough to seek help.
I believe YOU are the expert on your own life. I believe you already have everything you need to live the happy, authentic life you dream of.
Sometimes, when life gets messy, we need someone to come alongside us and help us see things in a new way. That's where I can help.
Whatever you find yourself struggling with right now, you don’t have to struggle alone.
Come on in....let's talk
Léonie N. Edwards, MA, LMHCA
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did you choose this field?
When client's are searching for the right therapist, the answer to this question is very important, so here is a little background on me. Throughout my youth and early adulthood I was, quite frankly, a therapy skeptic. Therapy was what other people did, not me. The idea of talking to a stranger about my problems or feelings made me cringe. Then life happened and I found myself in a pretty dark place. Desperate for some support and understanding, I was finally ready to give therapy a shot. It took some trial and error to find the right fit, but eventually I found a therapist who just GOT me. A therapist who had lived through similar experiences and come out on the other side. That level of understanding and compassion was beyond what can be taught in counseling programs. It came from the wisdom and strength acquired from her own healing journey.
Therapy was transformational for me. It gave me so much clarity, validated my experiences, and gave me the tools I needed to make brave choices and create the life I wanted. I also had to face some challenging truths, recognize and change my own behaviors and ways of thinking. Was it hard? Yes. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! I will be forever grateful for my therapist, who came into my life during a really challenging season and walked through it with me. Along the way I thought, what if I could be that person for someone else? What if I could help others the way she had helped me? I could not get the thought out of my mind. Using my own difficult circumstances for this purpose would finally give them meaning. So, after a 30-year career in dentistry, I changed direction and went back to college to become a therapist.
What is your approach
to therapy?
As human beings, we are wired for connection to others. How we learned to connect (or not!) during our early childhood years can have long-lasting impacts on how we view ourselves, and on our adult relationships. My therapeutic approach is grounded in attachment theory, which explores how we learned to connect (or “attach”) to others in childhood. Sometimes, as children, we learned to act in certain ways that kept us safe or helped us get our needs met. As adults, these same ways of being often do not work and can lead to confusion, hurt, fear, and frustration. Using an integrative approach that draws on concepts from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Gestalt Therapy, I will help you discover your attachment style and how it is showing up in your life today. Whether you are coming to therapy alone or with a partner, together we can explore new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving to improve your relationship to yourself and others.
what are your specialties?
I specialize in the treatment of Attachment Trauma, Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
(C-PTSD), and Narcissistic Abuse. These three challenges, while distinct, share many similarities, including certain symptoms and the evidence-based methods used to treat them. Clients with a history of untreated Attachment Trauma, C-PTSD, or Narcissistic Abuse have an increased risk of experiencing either (or both!) of the others in their lifetime. Regardless of which challenge(s) you are facing, the first step in treatment is always to establish a safe therapeutic relationship. The unique client-therapist bond is the foundation on which true healing is built. Research shows that our nervous systems co-regulate in the presence of a stable, consistent relationship, where trust and respect have been fostered. This creates an environment where lasting change is possible. Please visit the Specialties section to learn more.
what will sessions be like with you?
Whether you choose telehealth or in-person, my goal is to make you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. Therapy is YOUR time, an opportunity to step away from phones, schedules, to-do lists, and all the other chaos that may surround you and just focus on your own well-being. My style is relaxed and conversational. Together, we will determine the areas of your life where you want change. Then, we'll start to peel back the layers to understand why you got to this moment and how you can get where you want to be. If you work with me, you'll find I enjoy incorporating psychoeducation into our sessions. This means that I love to be a resource, help you recognize your patterns, understand what's going on in your body during a trigger, and provide tools to regulate your nervous system in times of stress. Information is empowering! When we know the "why," then the "how" becomes so much clearer. As my clients would tell you, I appreciate analogies, quotes, and symbolism! One of my favorite quotes on this topic is from Maya Angelou who said, "Forgive yourself for not knowing what you didn't know until you learned it."
What is your educational background?
I hold a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from George Fox University. My curriculum included training in Play Therapy, Sandtray Therapy and Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) from the NW Center for Play Therapy Studies, an approved training center of the Association for Play Therapy (APT). I received post-graduate training in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Polyvagal Theory for Embodied Trauma. I also hold a Bachelor of Science degree from Oregon State University, with a focus on biology, chemistry, and psychology.
