What if you didn’t have to feel like this?  You deserve to have the life you’ve always wanted.

Meet Leah Brody, LCSW-C, Therapist in Forest Hill, MD

You feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and stressed.  You are sick of merely surviving life; you want to learn how to thrive!

Therapy with me is…

• Compassionate and supportive
• Educational
• Casual
• Humorous, with a good dose of sarcasm, when appropriate

Therapy with me is not…

• A “fast fix”
• Stuffy or uptight
• Formal
• One fixed approach

When you step into my office or my Zoom link, you have taken the first important step to improving your life.  That’s a BIG deal, and I’m so glad you’re here!

You may be wondering what our sessions will look like.  The answer is that they look a little different for everyone, based on your needs and goals.

INTAKE:  This is a session in which we discuss what brings you to therapy, past and present concerns, your history, familial history, and goals.  This session also includes some “housekeeping”, things like discussing policies and fees, as well as scheduling, and plenty of time for you to ask me any questions.  Sessions are generally anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour in length, depending on the age and attention span of the client and the nature of the work together.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU:  If I am working with your child or you AND your child, there will likely be an extended period of getting to know each other.  This is generally achieved by letting the child take the lead in session and utilizing play-based therapy.  These interventions include the use of books, art, traditional board games, and sometimes outside play, as well as the use of workbooks and interactive videos and tools online.  Occasionally, children or parents may be given homework to complete for the next session in the form of skills to practice.  Unlike adults, children don’t just sit down and start talking, so we play, which encourages conversation in a more natural manner.

When working with adults, we will still engage in getting to know you activities, however, generally less than what will be required with children.  In sessions with adults, I usually allow for a check-in period at the beginning of the session where we assess your recent mental health and any new or ongoing concerns.  

CREATING A PLAN:  When working with either population, a treatment plan is developed after several sessions together.  The purpose of this is to craft goals and chart a plan for how we will work together to  achieve these goals.  

PUTTING THE PLAN INTO ACTION & BUILDING NEW SKILLS:  From there, we may move onto skill-building (i.e. learning about coping skills or self-care), and discussion on progress made toward your goals.  Treatment plans are generally updated twice per year.

GRADUATING FROM THERAPY:  While reviewing treatment plans twice per year, we will discuss how much progress you have made toward your goals, and assess how you feel about your progress.  The goal of therapy is to be planning for a time when you may no longer need services from the very first appointment.

Am I the right therapist for you?

I believe in knowing that YOU are the expert on YOURSELF. What does that mean? It means I will always listen to your thoughts and feelings, and never tell you what to think or how to respond to whatever you have going on — unless you explicitly ask me to do so.

Therapy is designed to provide insight into your thoughts and feelings with me acting as the person who helps you to have those “aha” moments.

Like you, I have been through some of my own challenges, including challenges in the workplace, infertility, weight loss, anxiety, and parenting.  

I will not overshadow your concerns, however, I do think it’s helpful for you to know that I can relate to some of the same things with which you may be dealing.

Clients describe me as being fun, goofy, easy to talk to, a little bit sarcastic and genuine.

Beach or mountains? Beach—I could sit by the ocean and watch the waves forever.

Coffee or tea? Coffee (iced with lots of creamer)

Pasta or bread? PASTA

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate

Football or baseball? Football- FLY EAGLES FLY!

Netflix or Disney Plus? Netflix

Early bedtime or late bedtime? I stay up too late and then regret it every morning.

Jeans or leggings? Is this a trick question?! Leggings!