Leslie Mower

So, who am I; and what am I doing here, eh? Also, do you struggle to talk about yourself ? - 'cause I sure do.

Anyways, let's see...

Personnally, I identify as a neurodiverse, cis-female, middle-aged (yes, over 40yo), divorced, single mother of two human loves and one canine love who enjoys spending time outdoors, flow arts, music, and dancing and singing and laughing. Also, learning is my favorite - like, I'm a full-on brain geek, for realz.

Professionally, I hold licensure through the State of Tennessee Department of Health as a Professional Counselor and Mental Health Service Provider since March 2025 which allows me to independently provide Clinical Mental Health Counseling services - including assessment, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of Mental and Behavioral Health issues, conditions, disorders, and illnesses.

Experience: *15 years in the Restaurant/Bar Service Industry (technically not clinical experience; howerever, theoretically... iykyk :))

5 years in Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) programming serving homeless and at-risk adolescents and young adults toward prevention and intervention of human trafficking

6 years in clinical treatment of Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders and Substance Use Disorders (yes, I have history) working from an Integrated Therapy approach primarily through Intensive Outpatient Programs providing group and individual therapy

The door to your best self is open; all you have to do is walk through it. See you inside.

Proper and thorough clinical assessment, ethical practice, trauma-informed engagement and care, destigmatization, and advocacy are consistent characteristics of my approach toward Client care. As a therapist, I believe in building therapeutic relationships founded on honesty, transparency, respect, patience, comraderie, and safety. My style of counseling is raw, uncut, and straight-forward while remaining sensitive, respectful, and culturally aware in offering constructive, caring, well-informed and growth-oriented feedback, guidance, and support. Ultimately, we're in this together.

I so look forward to meeting you! Also, starting therapy and "shopping for" a new therapist can each be uneasy experiences for some. During our first meeting, I am simply looking to put a face and a personality to your name - that's it! This may include some basic assessments, if needed. Typically, I prefer using a bio-psycho-social approach to gain some insight into your internal and external environments which will allow me to support you the best.

Most importantly, out first meeting will allow you the opportunity to determine whether or not you feel comfortable offering me the position. That's right! - this is for you. Finding the right support person can take some time and is essential to the therapeutic process. Feel free to come with any questions or preference that you have. It (really) is that easy!