Oscar Leyva

When you work with me, my goal is for you to feel heard, respected, and comfortable being yourself. I don’t believe you need to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. Sometimes you just need someone who will listen, help you make sense of what you’re experiencing, and work with you to find a way forward.

I take a supportive and down-to-earth approach to therapy. We’ll talk about what’s happening in your life, but we’ll also look at the experiences, thoughts, emotions, and relationships that may be affecting how you feel today. I’ll meet you where you are and work at a pace that feels manageable for you.

You can expect me to be honest, respectful, and collaborative. I won’t judge you or tell you how you’re supposed to feel. Instead, I’ll help you better understand yourself, build practical coping skills, work through difficult experiences, and recognize the strengths you already have.

Whether you’re dealing with stress, relationships, emotional challenges, changes in your life, or simply feeling stuck, therapy can be a place to slow down and focus on you. My hope is that you leave therapy not only feeling understood, but also feeling more confident in yourself and better prepared to handle what comes next.

My approach to therapy is supportive, collaborative, and focused on meeting you where you are. I believe therapy should feel like a space where you can be honest about what you’re going through without worrying about being judged or having to say the “right” thing.

We’ll work together to understand what’s been happening in your life, how it’s affecting you, and what you would like to change. I use different therapeutic approaches depending on your needs, including cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and motivational approaches. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, I want our work to fit you.

I also believe that therapy isn’t just about talking about problems. It’s about learning how to manage difficult emotions, recognize patterns, improve relationships, build confidence, and develop tools you can actually use in your everyday life.

You can expect me to listen, ask questions, challenge you when it’s helpful, and work alongside you rather than simply telling you what to do. My goal is for you to leave our sessions with a better understanding of yourself, practical tools to move forward, and a greater sense of confidence in your ability to handle life’s challenges.

Your first session is a chance for us to get to know each other and for you to get a feel for whether therapy with me feels like the right fit. You don’t need to come in with everything figured out, and you don’t have to know exactly what you want to talk about.

We’ll spend some time talking about what brought you to therapy, what you’ve been experiencing, and what you would like to be different in your life. I’ll also want to understand what has been going on in your relationships, emotions, and day-to-day life so we can get a better picture of what you need.

Most importantly, I want you to feel comfortable. I’m not there to judge you or rush you into discussing things you aren’t ready to talk about. We’ll take things at a pace that makes sense for you and begin identifying some goals for our work together.

By the end of the first session, my hope is that you feel heard, understood, and a little more comfortable with the process. We’ll talk about where we can go from there and begin building a plan that works for you.