Our People

Leah Hovel

mental health therapist & reiki practitioner

Elle Word: Compassion

Who inspires me:

My inspiration comes from watching others practice perseverance and forgiveness when handling life’s stressors. One of the very first people that showed me how to be brave in the face of an obstacle was my mother. She always pushed me to fight through those battles which taught me that I could shape my own reality into anything I wanted it to be. Now as a therapist, I am constantly in awe, being able to witness my clients not only survive hardships but learn how to thrive as their authentic self. This is one of the most rewarding and inspiring experiences I could ask for.

Interested in talk therapy with Leah? Read the talk therapy FAQ to learn more about talk therapy at Elle or contact us so we can start the conversation.

Credentials:

Licensed Professional Counselor
Certified Eating Disorder Specialist
Reiki Practitioner - Level One

Specialty:

I work with adults struggling with anxiety, eating disorders, mood disorders, and trauma. I practice individual and group therapy to help engage support in the recovery process, using psycho-education and building communication skills.

Approach:

My therapeutic approach involves primarily Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Mindfulness, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) modalities supplemented with culturally competent and trauma-informed care. I pride my work on creating a warm and fun therapeutic workspace, yet holding accountability and transparency to help my clients build distress tolerance, cognitive flexibility, and interpersonal skills. I enjoy supporting clients in exploring their spirituality and using this as guidance and strength in their mental health journey. Furthermore, I incorporate Health at Every Size tenants and self-compassion concepts to reduce weight stigma and promote body acceptance and forgiveness.