Alisha Lester

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master's in Counseling and Psychology and years of experience supporting individuals through some of life's heaviest seasons; depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, family conflict, and the quiet pain of not feeling good enough.

My path to this work is deeply personal. For years I wrestled with low self-esteem, and that journey, from bitter and broken to whole and beautiful, is what drives everything I do. I founded U.G.L.Y. LADY Ministries out of that experience, a ministry dedicated to helping women reclaim their sense of worth. I also serve as a school counselor, which keeps me grounded in the real, everyday challenges people face from adolescence into adulthood.

I have a particular heart for women, young people, and anyone navigating trauma, relationship pain, or the weight of feeling unseen. My faith, my community, and my lived experience are not separate from my clinical work; they inform it. I bring warmth, encouragement, and an unshakeable belief in every person's capacity to heal.

I am an encouraging, compassionate, and direct counselor who meets clients exactly where they are. I draw Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Positive Psychology, Relational Therapy, Behavior Management, Brief Dynamic Therapy, and Bowen Family Systems, because no two people heal the same way.

I am strengths-based and empowerment-focused. My goal is never to tell you who to be, but to help you reconnect with who you already are. I integrate faith-informed perspectives for clients who find that meaningful, while fully honoring the range of backgrounds and beliefs that walk through my door.

Whether you are managing anxiety, processing trauma or grief, untangling family dynamics, or working through OCD, ADD/ADHD, or anger, I will tailor our work to what you actually need.

Your first session is about one thing: feeling safe enough to breathe. I want to understand your story, what brings you in, and what you hope life looks and feels like on the other side of this work.

There is no pressure to have it all figured out before you arrive. Come as you are. By the end of our first session, you will leave with a clearer sense of what we will work on together and, most importantly, that you are not alone in it.