Maia Leslie

About Maia

My approach

My approach is gentle, collaborative, and trauma-informed, integrating IFS (Internal Family Systems), somatic therapy, and relational approaches. Rather than trying to "fix" you, we’ll get curious about the patterns that helped you survive, build self-compassion, and help you feel safer in your body and more connected to yourself.

About me

I believe healing begins when you no longer have to choose between belonging to others and being true to yourself. My goal is to create a space where you can show up as you are, feel understood without judgment, and begin building a relationship with yourself rooted in trust, compassion, and acceptance.

More background

You can be doing everything right and still feel disconnected from yourself.

At Wholeheartedly You Therapy, I offer a compassionate space to explore the experiences and patterns shaping how you move through the world. My work is grounded in the understanding that many of the things you struggle with today developed for a reason. The perfectionism that leaves you feeling never good enough, the people-pleasing that makes it difficult to say no, or the tendency to disconnect from your feelings may have once helped you navigate relationships and environments where you didn't feel entirely safe being yourself.

You don't need more shame or another list of things you should be doing differently. You deserve the opportunity to understand yourself with compassion and develop new ways of relating to yourself and others.

We won't rush your healing or force you to revisit experiences before you're ready. Therapy is a collaborative process, and you get to have a voice in what we explore, how we approach it, and what feels manageable. We'll make room for the parts of you that are ready for change as well as the parts that feel hesitant, protective, or afraid.

The goal isn't to become a perfectly healed version of yourself who never struggles. It's to build a relationship with yourself that allows you to meet difficult moments with greater understanding, flexibility, and trust.

You don't have to become someone else to begin feeling better. Sometimes, healing is about finding your way back to who you've been all along.

Don't hesitate to reach out. I look forward to connecting!

Specialties

Types of therapy

Who Maia works with

Ages

Teens (14-19), Adults

Communities

LGBTQ+, BIPOC, Neurodivergent, Body Positive, Open Relationships / Non-Monogamy, Single Parents

Languages

English

Education and training

Master’s in Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness, NYU, 2020

Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and International/Intercultural Studies, Pitzer College, 2015

Certifications

IFS Level I Trained

Somatic Experiencing International Beginning Level: Module I

Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level 2 (CCTP-II), Certification #: 574338

Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician (NATC), Certification #: 761258