Obsessive-compulsive disorder therapists & psychiatrists in Allentown, PA

Uncomfortable as they may be, emotional struggles often develop for understandable reasons. They reflect what we’ve experienced, how we’ve learned to cope, protect ourselves, and navigate important relationships over time. And while these patterns may have once served an important purpose and still carry valuable information, they can also keep us tied to past experiences in ways that make it difficult to feel fully present, connected, and grounded in ourselves. Therapy can help us better understand these experiences so that we can move forward with greater flexibility, self-understanding, and connection in our lives and relationships.

I work with clients navigating anxiety, interpersonal or family conflict, life transitions, trauma, depression, OCD, and questions related to identity, relationships, and emotional meaning. I also work with individuals who are simply looking for a thoughtful space to reflect, grow, and better understand themselves.

My clinical work has been shaped by training at the University of Pennsylvania, the Institute for Relational Psychoanalysis of Philadelphia, and experience working across multiple levels of care, including residential and intensive treatment settings.

My name is Leilani and I’m a dual-certified Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and I believe feeling heard is just as important as any treatment plan. My background in both primary care and mental health, along with my experience as a military veteran and spouse, helps me understand how stress, health, and life experiences are often deeply intertwined. I work with adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma, and big life transitions, and I take time to listen before offering guidance. My goal is to create a calm, supportive space where we can talk things through together and move forward in a way that feels manageable and right for you.

I have had the honor of working for nearly 40 years in practice with children , adolescents and young adults and their families in primary care and now in psychiatry . I enjoy helping young people navigate the difficulties of adolescence and life and develop into confident happy adults .

I am a husband, a father of two adult children, and a corgi dad. I am not a true Mainer as I moved here about 4 years ago from Pennsylvania where I spent most of my life. But, I have adopted Maine as my own. I love the outdoors and spend as much time as I can in them.

As far as the more formal stuff, I spent a lot of time in school. My credentials include a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Ursinus College, a Masters of Education in Counseling from Rutgers University, an Executive Masters of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from California Pacific University, a Masters and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Juris Doctorate in Law all from Widener University.

I have 20+ years management experience in behavioral health, managed care, academia and private practice settings. I have run my private practice for more than 30 years, have been a program administrator, corporate compliance/privacy officer, clinical director, program chairperson, and director of quality management during my career. I have taught at more than 20 colleges and universities. I have advised, supervised, trained, and taught hundreds of graduate students and professional counselors. I have also presented at many state, regional and national conferences and provided numerous trainings to social service and criminal justice professionals.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with over a decade of experience working with adults. I approach therapy as a relational process, not a place where you come to be fixed. You’re not a problem to solve; you’re a person with a history, patterns that make sense, and a way of being in the world that developed for a reason.