Leslie Malvido, LCSW — Therapist in California

Hi there, I'm Leslie!

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), and I’ve been providing therapy for the past six years. I’m a warm, compassionate, and down-to-earth therapist who believes you deserve to feel heard, understood, and supported while also being challenged to grow. My goal is to create a space where you feel welcomed, valued, and heard.

My focus

I work with teens, young adults, and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, self-esteem concerns, life transitions, relationship and family difficulties, stress and burnout, grief, emotional regulation challenges, ADHD, and questions around identity and self-discovery.

My approach

My approach is strengths-based, solution-focused, and trauma-informed, drawing from approaches such as CBT, DBT, and TF-CBT. I believe therapy works best when we build a strong therapeutic relationship and work collaboratively toward goals that matter to you. I’ll help you understand the “why” and "how" to overcome life's challenges.

My communication style

My communication style is warm, genuine, easygoing, and direct. I want you to feel comfortable being yourself without worrying about judgment. I’ll listen and validate your experiences while also asking thoughtful questions, providing education, and gently challenging you when it can help you move forward. When appropriate, I also include humor! :)

My journey to mental healthcare

I became a therapist because I genuinely enjoy helping people and being part of someone's journey toward finding themselves again. Over the past six years, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing clients work through experiences they once believed they couldn’t overcome. What continues to inspire me is seeing the progress that my client's make!

My goals for you

We’ll start by identifying the areas of your life that feel overwhelming, stuck, or out of control and use those as a starting point for creating meaningful, concrete goals. From there, we’ll work together to track progress, identify what is and isn’t working, and adjust our approach as needed.

Our first session

Your first session is an opportunity for us to get to know each other, build rapport, talk about what brought you to therapy, and identify what you hope to accomplish. We’ll discuss your needs, begin developing goals, and explore whether my therapeutic approach feels like a good fit for you. Feeling nervous is normal, we can figure it out together.

I identify as...

Female
Hispanic or Latinx
Christian

Expertise

Treatment approaches

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

+ 9 more

Focus populations

Body Positivity

First Gen American/Immigrant Parents

Single Mother

LGBTQIA+

+ 4 more

Therapy types

Couples Therapy
Individual Therapy

Ages served

Minors
Adults

Practice

Accepted insurance providers

Aetna
Allegiance
Allied
Arlo (Cigna)
Centivo

+ 18 more

Languages spoken

English, Spanish

Education

Master of Social Work from California Baptist College.

Sessions

60 minutes

Virtual sessions

Leslie Malvido