Leslie cofounded Life Stages Counseling in 2004 with her colleague, Maria Muscente. Leslie has over 25 years of experience as a Social Worker after receiving her Master’s degree in Social Work from the State University at Albany. She worked for two different agencies providing social work services to developmentally disabled adults and their families. She moved to Ithaca in 1989 and began working for the Franziska Racker Centers as a social worker in a preschool special education classroom and then on their evaluation team where she evaluated children with social and emotional concerns. She provided social work services for preschool children through the Tompkins County Early Intervention Program and through local school districts in Tompkins County. In 2004 she left the Racker Centers to start Life Stages Counseling. She has extensive experience and training in working with young children and their families, with elementary age children, with adults and families. Leslie’s areas of interest and expertise include parenting education and support, social/emotional development in children, anxiety disorders in children and adults, and step-parenting. Her therapeutic focus is in growth-oriented work using a strengths-based perspective, play therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Email: [email protected]