Hi, it's nice to meet you!

I'm Leigh Stewart, and I'm glad you're here.

What is a fun fact about myself?

I lived in a school bus with my beloved cat, Mom, for a year! I am a very tactile and sensory-oriented learner. I draw inspiration and feel most creative when I can inspect, feel, manipulate, smell, hold and play.

What can you expect as my client?

Clients can expect a collaborative, dynamic and evolving therapeutic relationship. As your therapist, I strive to demonstrate curiosity, humility and empathy. I lean on your intuitive wisdom and lived experience to inform the pace, focus and depth of our work. It’s my goal to walk alongside you and be witness to the inherent, spontaneous and creative resiliency on your path back to empowerment. My approach is culturally responsive and trauma-informed; I draw from systemic and attachment theory to integrate mindfulness, somatic and compassion into the process. Underpinning my work is a deep curiosity of how the subconscious realm informs our emotions, behaviors and choices in relationships. I experience a deep sense of fulfillment in supporting clients to navigate the complexity of their inner worlds and find meaning in these dynamic and multifaceted experiences to inform change.

Pronouns: She/They

Who am I outside of therapy?

Outside of the office I’m frequently hiking, biking, singing and dancing around town, spending time in community, nerding out on birds and bugs, talking to plants, reading tarot and analyzing dreams. Find me in my happy place, crouched by a stream or resting in a pile of moss.

How did I become a therapist?

I grew up with society’s stigmatized view of mental health and addiction – these were shameful, individually-blamed experiences to be dealt with in secrecy. Therapy came to me during a time in my life where I felt I had no other choice, I could no longer do this alone. Therapy showed me the value of vulnerability, healing in relationship, and gently guided me toward reclaiming my identity and voice. From that point on, I was engrossed in learning more about power and equity in relationships, systemic and sociocultural connection to symptoms. I knew I wanted to support people to make meaning of their lived experiences and relationships. My own journey with substance recovery and spiritual emergency yields a deep sense of empathy for those experiencing challenges with substances or altered states of consciousness, and for their impacted loved ones.

I hold a Master’s in Marriage, Couple and Family Therapy with a specialization in Addictions from Lewis & Clark College. Graduate coursework held a strong emphasis on power and equity, sociocultural attunement and a systemic, humanistic approach to therapy. In addition to my graduate training, I am a member of the 2025 Professional SE™ Training Program cohort at Somatic Experiencing® International, a three-year training program dedicated to transforming trauma stored in the body.

I have been engaged in contemplative and compassionate mindfulness practices for many years and am a current student of Vipassana meditation. I study topics of depth and transpersonal psychology such as archetype and myth, dream analysis, altered states & experiences, spirituality and ecology through independent learning.

I’ve been a registered associate for a year working at an outpatient level supporting individuals, couples and families navigating anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, life transitions and relational challenges. As a student, I was a graduate assistant and intern at Lewis and Clark Problem Gambling Clinic for two years. I worked with individuals, couples and families impacted by or experiencing problematic gambling, as well as clients recovering from substance use and a variety of co-occurring mental health diagnoses. Previously, I’ve worked as a certified domestic violence advocate supporting survivors of interpersonal violence and their families navigate systems and significant life transitions.

I am drawn to working with clients who are seeking to better understand their identity and sense of self, past wounding and patterns, and transform their ways of relating with the world from a curious, humble and compassionate place. I enjoy working with adult individuals and couples who have concerns related to attachment, trust, family-of-origin, sexuality, life transitions, and grief.

Populations of clinical focus (however, not limited to) are those who have lived experience with addiction, complex trauma, LGBTQIA+, non-ordinary states of consciousness, kink/BDSM, ENM/poly and sex work. I am particularly attuned to the stigma and difficulties these experiences can bring, while maintaining their potential for transformative healing and growth. As a therapist, I prioritize cultural humility and aim to expand my awareness of the unique needs and challenges faced by these populations, particularly along the lines of our various intersectional identities.