Meet Leah Elliott of Elliott Counseling Center

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Elliott.

Hi Leah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My whole life, I’ve wanted to be a counselor. Since beginning college to now, how I got to that point, what areas/populations I worked with and my philosophy have changed and evolved. But counseling at the heart of it, is my passion. My undergraduate degree is in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. I initially wanted to work in a capacity where the two fields overlapped. When I graduated, I ended up working for the Department of Family and Children Services, investigating child abuse and neglect. This experience shaped my perspective of “psychology” or “mental health.” I was doing social work, not something I had seen myself doing or really understood a lot about. But I loved it! I loved being hands on, I loved working with child abuse/neglect populations, I loved knowing I was making a difference. This led me to pursue my master’s in social work.

While getting my master’s, I had two internships, which allowed me to work with victims of abuse. This I was familiar with, but not in a clinical setting. Working with victims in a clinical setting became my more focused passion. So I was specific to chose opportunities to continue to be exposed to these populations. Fast forward many years of being in private practice and experiencing my own traumas, I now have a more evolved perspective of what I like to call “Mental Wellness” and how trauma impacts that. I personally have navigated my own past traumas through a variety of treatments, modalities, and integrative/holistic approaches. I approach my clinical practice from a mind-body perspective and work with clients to not just survive and cope, but to heal and thrive. I believe this can happen in the office through counseling, but I also believe there are many things we can do to improve our mental well-being outside of the therapy office as well. I support my clients (and myself) in pursuing what works for them on their journey.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Ha! I literally had to laugh out loud! Is anything in life a smooth road? Absolutely not! Professionally, I’ve developed who I am as a therapist, built a practice, and survived through it. But owning a business, especially in mental health, and living a life….is not smooth! During my time as a therapist, building a practice, and refining my modalities and approaches for my clients, I have experienced the most difficult times of my personal life. These have impacted me professionally. They limited my ability to grow as a clinician at times, grow as a business, and pursue certifications and licensures.

I had two children, got divorced, learned to navigate being a single working mom, and been involved in custody litigation for years. I have experienced my own traumas during this time and uncovered ones I had tried to bury. I have been on my own healing journey.

I have had to learn to take my own advice, practice the self-care I teach others, explore new treatments, explore what matters to me the most, and somehow build a new future around all of that. To say it’s been bumpy would be an understatement.

But I believe in resilience for all of us. I believe we all have the capacity to be survivors (of anything, not just trauma); I believe when we set our minds on something, eventually we end up where we are meant to be.

For me, I’m still on this journey. Perhaps, the journey is not meant to end in one place, perhaps it’s meant to continue to evolve, so we continue to learn and grow. I once heard, I’m sure it’s a quote from someone, but I don’t remember who….but they call it “failing forward.” Each “failure” or hardship, is actually an opportunity to learn and grow. So this is what I do, and this is my goal for my clients.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the sole owner/clinician at my business. However, I have long-term goals to develop a mental wellness center that is holistic and integrative.

I am a licensed master social worker, pursuing clinical licensure, registration as a play therapist, and certification in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). I am also working on a certification in HeartMath (biofeedback breath work). I am a certified trauma specialist.

I specialize in trauma and am known for approaching client’s issues from a mind-body perspective. Specifically, I enjoy educating my clients on the brain, how trauma impacts the brain and nervous system, as well as how the heart and gut play a role in this whole-body approach. I believe this perspective helps my clients to look at their mental health issues in a way which empowers them.

I see children, adolescents, and adults. Working with this wide range of ages has helped me explore and cultivate different ways of working with a variety of populations and mental health concerns. I am most proud of my use of multiple modalities, no matter the age, to navigate a client’s struggles. In this way, therapy can be fun, less overwhelming, and most importantly healing.

I integrate the use of play therapy techniques, such as sand tray, movement, and art, with modalities such as EMDR and Polyvagal theory. I combine education with exploration. Ensuring my clients feel comfortable and develop a trusting relationship with me is my priority. Using a combination of modalities and theories allows me to meet my clients where they are and achieve their goals.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I love to collaborate with other professionals. Since I believe in an integrative and holistic approach to mental wellness, working with and collaborating with other providers in those areas is very important to me. I believe we can learn from one another, support one another, and more importantly help those we work with achieve their goals by referring them to other providers who align with those goals. I am also always on the lookout for other mental health providers. Not every client who contacts me is a good fit for what I offer. I believe we all bring something to the table that can complement what others are doing. Having a good referral network ensures those seeking mental health treatment can get their goals met.

Regarding prospective clients, ensuring we are a good fit is very important to me. I want my clients to feel their investment in their mental wellness is beneficial to them and worth it. This is a relationship business. From the first time a client contacts me, I begin working on that relationship. For this reason, I offer all prospective clients a free 2o 2-minute consultation. In fact, I don’t schedule an appointment with most prospective clients unless we’ve spoken first. This allows both the client and me to see if we could be a good fit to meet their needs. For many people, entering therapy is scary and overwhelming, this call allows me to ease those concerns. I want clients to ask questions, understand the process, know what to expect, and have a chance to get to know who I am a little bit before they walk into my office.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elliottcounselingcenter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leah_elliott_counseling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElliottCounseling
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/leah-m-elliott-woodstock-ga/106174