Leah Brooks , LCSW

Leah Brooks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 11 years of clinical experience in California. She focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, and LGBTQ concerns. Leah aims to help people feel heard and understood as they take steps toward a more satisfying life.

She uses practical, conversational methods in sessions. Leah helps clients name what matters to them and build small, doable steps toward those values. She also works with people trying to improve self-esteem, manage shame or guilt, and recover from post-traumatic stress.

Leah is familiar with issues that touch sexuality and relationships, including body image, BDSM and kink cultures, polyamory and non-monogamous relationships, and questions about sexual identity. She supports people coping with isolation, social anxiety, life purpose, and the stresses that come from first responder and veteran experiences.

Her approach blends acceptance and commitment strategies with cognitive techniques and mindfulness to help clients notice unhelpful patterns and try new behaviors. Leah also draws on EMDR and Jungian ideas when those tools seem helpful for processing trauma or exploring personal narratives.

Sessions are offered in English and are structured to be straightforward and collaborative. Leah encourages realistic goals, steady progress, and honest conversation about what is and isn’t working.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Leah uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify their values and take small steps toward them, even when uncomfortable feelings are present. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and social phobia.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Leah will discuss your needs, goals, and preferences in early sessions and together decide which methods to try. She adjusts strategies as progress is made so the plan stays practical and meaningful.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets you read nonverbal cues and hold a longer conversation, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or you prefer not to be on camera, and messaging or live chat can fit brief check-ins between appointments. These options make therapy flexible for different schedules and day-to-day demands.