Leda Knee, LCSW — Therapist in California

Hi there, I'm Leda!

Welcome to therapy! I have held my license in Clinical Social Work (LCSW) for almost 25 years. I love working with individuals and couples, assisting each individual and 'system' to determine their own path towards better functioning and increased life satisfaction. I have a particular fondness for assisting clients in managing anxiety.

My focus

I work with adults struggling with life transitions, decisions, anxiety, grief, and depression. I also work with couples in various stages—pre-marital, divorce, discernment, and parenting.

My approach

Therapy is a partnership between the client(s) and the therapist. If you are a 'student' of therapeutic methods, you may recognize CBT, TF-CBT, and psychodynamic therapy as primary modalities for treating anxiety and depression, as well as a variety of other issues that plague us. However, no one modality is perfect for any human being.

My communication style

Everyone deserves a witness to their story, and that is what I strive to be. My goal is to be your place of refuge and also your place of growth. You may find me silent for a few minutes, allowing you time to speak whatever is on your mind. I've had clients tell me that my voice is so calming that they often feel the stress leaving their bodies

My journey to mental healthcare

I came to be a therapist quite by accident, through my love of kids and teens, when I was a young adult working on a cruise line as a Director of Youth Activities. Through grad school at Boston University for my MSW and continued work in schools and clinics, I found that I had an innate understanding of human behavior and emotional response.

My goals for you

Goals are not mine- they are solely yours! I will invite you to take a week or two to consider your most urgent needs for change, and then we write a goal together that makes sense for you. Following your lead, we then create bite-sized weekly objectives that feel manageable to you.

Our first session

The first session (and really, all sessions!) is MY job interview, and I will tell you this upfront! You have to decide that I'm the right fit for you. There are thousands of therapists in California alone, and you have to feel completely comfortable with me for you to decide to hire me!

I identify as...

Female
Caucasian or White
Agnostic

Expertise

Treatment approaches

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Humanistic

Motivational Interviewing

+ 4 more

Focus populations

Body Positivity

Cancer

First Generation American/Immigrant Parents

Gay

LGBTQIA+

Police/Fire/First Responders

Single Mother

+ 7 more

Therapy types

Couples Therapy
Individual Therapy

Ages served

Adults

Practice

Accepted insurance providers

Aetna
All Savers
Allegiance
Allied
Anthem

+ 62 more

Languages spoken

English

Education

Master of Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from BOSTON University.

Sessions

60 minutes

Virtual sessions

Leda Knee