Leah Brooks, LCSW

Leah Brooks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with 11 years of experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, LGBTQ concerns, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and depression, and aims to make the first step toward change feel manageable and supported.

Leah uses straightforward, client-centered sessions where people can talk about what matters to them without judgment. She helps people name what feels hard and then chooses practical steps to reduce distress and improve daily life. That may include strategies to manage anxious thoughts, practices to build self-worth, or ways to cope after traumatic events.

Her background includes work across multiple settings over more than a decade, giving her experience with issues like isolation, life purpose, and challenges specific to veterans and first responders. She also has experience addressing body image, sexuality, and alternative relationship styles and sexual cultures when those topics come up in therapy.

Leah draws on a mix of approaches to match each person’s needs. She integrates acceptance and commitment ideas, cognitive-behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, EMDR for trauma-related work, and Jungian perspectives when exploring deeper life patterns. Sessions are collaborative and paced to suit each person’s readiness.

Leah asks people to be curious about change while keeping goals realistic. She supports incremental progress and practical skills people can use between sessions. Starting therapy is described as an act of courage, and she offers steady support through that process.

Approaches that translate well to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying values and taking small, meaningful steps toward them. It helps when people feel stuck by offering practices to notice difficult thoughts and still move toward what matters. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches tools to change unhelpful patterns. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and social fears. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is often used for trauma-related memories and helps reduce the intensity of distress tied to painful events.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Leah will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals and preferences. That means trying skill-based techniques, mindfulness exercises, or trauma-focused work at a pace that feels manageable.

Confirm current session options before booking to know what formats are offered. Many people find online therapy easier to fit into busy days because it removes travel time and can make scheduling around work or caregiving commitments simpler. Online sessions also make it easier to keep a steady rhythm of appointments and to practice strategies between meetings without changing daily routines.