Ms. Leslee Sims, MSW, LSW

Education

School:
Indiana University School of Social Work with a Concentration in Mental Health and Addiction

Degree:
Master of Social Work

Additional Certificates:

Professional Development Certificate
Trauma Informed Care

Ms. Sims is a higher education professional with extensive experience in career coaching, counseling, and consultation, as well as working with individuals experiencing challenges related to life transitions.  She also works with a local nonprofit organization that promotes awareness and understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma through education, consultation, and support.  Ms. Sims is passionate about empowering individuals and communities.  She received a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University and a Master of Social Work from Indiana University School of Social Work, with a Concentration in Mental Health and Addiction.  During clinical practicum experiences, Ms. Sims had a sub-focus on trauma, and has completed further training in this area as well as in a variety of psychotherapy methods.

Ms. Sims has a warm, intuitive, and compassionate style, creating a safe space and putting clients at ease.  She strives to help clients live their best life.  Utilizing an existential approach to help clients find themselves and find direction, Ms. Sims assists clients in identifying where they are now and where they want to be, integrating an existential approach into therapy.   She believes in empowering clients with support, knowledge, tools, and resources to assist them and make them successful on the path to self-actualization.

Ms. Sims is particularly focused on ACEs, the brain science behind trauma, resilience, and educating and creating awareness on these issues to better serve client populations, leading to improved wellbeing and stronger communities.  In terms of approach, Ms. Sims believes strongly in being trauma informed and in looking through a trauma informed lens.  This means being sensitive to the impact of trauma on others and yourself, while understanding and utilizing tools to support self and others in regulating during times of stress.

Ms. Sims utilizes a strengths-based approach when working with clients, helping to identify what is working in their life.  She implements a variety of psychotherapy methods to assist clients in addressing and overcoming challenges and barriers, changing behavior, finding purpose, and increasing self-worth and happiness.  She also uses person-centered therapy, solution-focused therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, motivational interviewing techniques, as well as humanistic and mindfulness-based approaches.  In working with clients, Ms. Sims creates a collaborative, judgment-free environment, one that promotes self-exploration and self-discovery.  In exploring one’s own identity, and promoting freer self-disclosure and awareness of self-worth, steps can be taken to alter and modify behavior to better reflect this identity.

Issues Treated

Specialties

Career Counseling
Life Transitions
Trauma

Session Types

Telehealth
Individual Therapy

Age Specialties

Adults
Adolescents/Teenagers (14 to 19)

Types of Therapy

Individuals
Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
Christian Counseling
Coaching
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Dialectical (DBT)
Existential
Humanistic
Integrative
Mindfulness-Based (MBCT)
Motivational Interviewing
Psychodynamic
Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)
Strength-Based
Trauma Focused