Co-Owner, Clinical Director of Psychotherapy, Reproductive Psychotherapist

 

 

Lesli Desai (she/her):

Born and raised in West Seattle, I am excited to be practicing in my hometown. I spend most of my free time crafting and going for family walks – ideally in the sun bursts we get here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

I have been working with individuals and families in private, public, and clinical settings since 2007 and I have worked primarily with pregnant and postpartum women and their families since 2012.  I use a variety of therapeutic modalities and trauma-informed treatment to meet the needs of my patients and create an individualized plan of care to accomplish their goals.

 

 

Training and Credentials:

I am licensed in Washington State to provide therapy and counseling as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). I graduated with a BS in Psychology and a Minor in Urban Education from Santa Clara University and returned to Washington for graduate school, completing my MSW at the University of Washington. I take every opportunity to engage in ongoing clinical training both directed to specific reproductive populations as well as evidenced-based therapy modalities.

In 2021, I became roughly the 40th clinician in the state of Washington with a Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C). The PMH-C title was created by Perinatal Support International in 2018 to provide structure and standardization of training and experience working with and supporting perinatal clients and their families. In addition to meeting the preliminary requirements and passing an exam, I continue to take continuing education in the world of perinatal mental health to ensure that I am up to date, inclusive, and informed in current perinatal topics.

 

Professional Memberships and Certifications:

  • Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C), since 2021
  • American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and part of the Mental Health Practice Group (MHGP), since 2020
  • Washington State Society of Clinical Social Work (WSSCSW), since 2017
  • Perinatal Support of Washington (PS-WA), since 2015
  • National Association of Social Workers (NASW), since 2010

 

Selected Trainings:

  • Columbia’s Sex Education Initiative Fellowship: Reproductive Identity (2022)
  • Empty Cradle, Broken Heart: Perinatal Loss Training (2022)
  • Childless Affirmative Training/Clinical Applications (2022)
  • EMDR Through the Perinatal Lens (2021)
  • Advanced Practice of EMDR for Perinatal and Maternal Mental Health (2020)
  • Clinical Supervisor Training for Washington State (2019)
  • Listening Mothers Facilitator (2018)
  • MommaCare: Perinatal Loss for Psychotherapists (2018)

 

Lesli is not currently accepting clients at this time.

If you’d like to schedule with our other staff, please fill out the New Client Appointment Request form here.