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About Leah Miner French, LMFT

 

Hi! I’m Leah French.

I’m a psychotherapist licensed to practice in California.

I’m also a wife, a boy Mom - which on most days involves some aspect of BMX, a motorcycle/outdoor/adventure lover, seeker of good books, Mastiff lover, psychology and math geek, and a woman with a giant heart who loves big and feels even deeper. One might argue it’s the last part that has most colored my life and led me down the path to becoming a therapist and I can’t say that’s wrong! Every therapist is also a person with their own life journey and mine has helped me to be a more empathetic, connected, effective and compassionate therapist. I am proud and honored to be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and private practice owner serving children, teens, parents and entire families online and in person in Ventura, CA. My passion is trying to use my gifts, education, and life experiences to help others overcome their current circumstances, discover their inner resilience, and find joy and purpose in their lives.

My Experience

I have a BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley and an MA in Counseling Psychology from National University. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). I’ve spent over 20 years in the field working for non-profits & community mental health clinics. I have worked primarily with children, teens and their families in the most acute settings including residential treatment centers, outpatient/IOP clinics, in partnership with juvenile probation, and as part of intensive in-home/in-school crisis and behavioral support teams.

Who I love to help

I have had the honor of working with countless youth and families and have held their stories of pain, trauma, abuse, hopelessness, despair, and confusion. I have wiped tears and shared in victories. I have seen the insidious ways that drug and alcohol abuse ravages through families and the ways that domestic violence thrives in silence. My passion is being a place to break that silence, challenge the stigma, help people find a new voice and teach skills that allow the impossible to seem possible. I love being a safe space for the most challenging teen, hopeless adult, or desperate family for whom therapy hasn’t been successful in the past and getting to see a brick in the wall come down and a sparkle reappear in their eyes. There is no greater honor!

My dream & mission

I have always dreamed of starting a private practice, but the pace of community mental health work kept me busy and that dream just a dream. In 2020, I, like many of us, had circumstances that caused me to reflect and re-evaluate on how much time I wanted to be at home with my family and just how I wanted to use my gifts and experience in my career. I knew from my work in residential treatment that a common complaint was the challenge in finding a good child therapist or a good adolescent therapist after discharge and returning home to continue the work and maintain the progress. Most struggled to find someone skilled in the specialized treatments provided in residential treatment or someone experienced in working with challenging youth, families, addiction, trauma, etc. Families I had worked with continued to call me begging me to start a private practice so that they could continue to see me. In my own personal life, family, friends and even medical providers kept sharing stories of the difficulties people are having finding a good therapist or even finding a therapist with openings! The voice of my dream kept getting louder and louder and I knew it was time.

And that is where Resilience Family Therapy was born. There’s a huge need for highly skilled and experienced child and teen therapists right now that are trained and equipped to meet the challenges facing our youth and families today. My mission is to provide a safe place where children, teens, adults, and families can feel seen and heard and discover their inner strength to overcome trauma and adversity and build resilience to grow and emerge stronger than before. Through skillful, compassionate, and individually-tailored interventions and therapy, I believe that anyone can find relief from suffering and learn to focus on hope and purpose. Give me a call today for a free 20 minute consultation or click here to schedule that consult directly online to see if I might be a good fit for you or your family member!