Leigha Ward (she/her)

I was in active practice as a labor and delivery nurse for 20 years, from 2000 to 2020. This experience along with my training in clinical psychology has allowed me to understand challenges within the peripartum period from a unique perspective. I can assist with mood disorders, pregnancy loss/grief, infertility, and birth trauma, and I am an advocate for women's healthcare across the board.

Because I specialize in sex therapy provision, I often encounter challenges in relationships. Whether your relationship issues center on ineffective communication, differing values, or sexuality challenges, I believe it is possible to emerge from these difficulties with a strong sense of who you are and what you want in your relationships.

Sex therapy is not just for couples! An important part of sex and relationships is being comfortable with yourself, your body, communication, and asking for what you want — or discussing what you don’t want. It can be daunting to discuss sexual issues with a partner due to both negative messages received within our and societal norms. I can help you to sort through your fears and biases regarding sex and relationships to give you the knowledge and power to discover sexual fulfillment.

Sex therapy can be an individual or couples endeavor and focuses on difficulties centered on sexuality and relationships. Views on sexual behavior can be as varied as our family, educational, and social experiences, and as a result, we can feel shamed, embarrassed, and confused regarding our sexual desires and interests. I strive to normalize a wide range of sexuality while assisting individuals in managing performance, communication, and anxiety due to misinformation.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) is derived from psychodynamic therapy and focuses on reducing negative symptoms associated with relationships (e.g., family, friends, romantic). Because my specialized interests involve relating to others, I find this approach to be beneficial in understanding stress and traumatic responses within relationships due to feeling ineffective. I do not adhere to the manualized treatment method, but I do draw from beneficial methods utilized within IPT.

I was primarily trained as a psychodynamic psychotherapist, which new clients often hear from me during our initial phone consultation. I describe this form of therapy as a way of thoroughly examining patterns within our lives, often beginning with the family of origin, which has persisted within our relationships and are no longer working for us. Psychodynamic therapy explores habits and relationship dynamics to assist individuals in finding a way to cope more effectively with challenges.