Lesley Cruz

My journey to mental healthcare

Within days of graduating from Nogales High School in La Puente, Ms. Cruz enlisted in the US Army. During her time in the service, she was temporarily assigned to El Paso, Texas, Alexandria, Virginia, and later stationed in South Korea for over a year as a Patriot Missile Operator before touring as a cast member of the 1999 US Army Soldier Show. Fascinated with the mechanisms that drive human behavior, in 1998, Ms. Cruz began her academic pursuits majoring in Criminal Psychology at Central Texas College and later the University of Maryland. It wouldn't be until 2004, she would resume and transfer her studies, thereby obtaining her undergraduate degree in 2006 in Human Services followed by her Master of Science degree in Counseling in 2009 from the University of Phoenix. Her flexibility, curiosity, and openness, would grant her the privilege of working at Caremore Healthcare for a year, serving the mental health needs of dependent adults with severe mental illness in addition to counseling elderly and frail adults at times three times her age. Ms. Cruz was granted clearance by the L.A. District Attorney’s Office when volunteering for their Victim Witness Assistance Program in 2011. Early 2014 she was granted the required clearance by the L.A. Probation Department for employment at New Opportunities Charter School where she continues to render services and administrative support through a variety of personal Enrichment Workshops, Life Coaching, Parenting classes, and Individual Psychotherapy. She's also had the opportunity to work with the inmate population at Twin Towers Correctional Facility where she served as a Life Skills Instructor with female inmates.

My approach

My methodology extends the breaches of traditional talk therapy, additionally using art therapy, sandtray therapy, and play therapy, among other creative expressive mediums. I'm also trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), and Gestalt Therapy.

My communication style

I model a clear, direct, curious, open, and encouraging communication style while maintaining a soft inviting approach to ongoing dialogue.

My goals for you

A client-centered approach by actively listening to the client's core needs, collaborating to identify specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) short and long-term goals. Developing an action plan together to track progress and ensure client goals align with their overall therapeutic objectives; all while being mindful of the client's pace and tailoring the process to their individual circumstances. A client can expect a variety of descriptive prompts and open-ended questions; "What would you like to achieve in therapy?", "What areas of your life do you want to focus on?" "How will you know therapy is no longer needed ?" or "Describe what your life after therapy looks like." My overall goal is to help clients uncover their true full potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating.