I strongly advise not to see this person for mental health counseling. She runs a group for women struggling with postpartum depression, though it is evident that she is not qualified to treat women with such a serious mental issue. I attended her group twice before she asked me not to return. I came to the group as a lonely, sad, scared, and desperate mother of a 9 month old boy. I had no support system to help me take care of the baby. I was excited to attend the group so I could finally talk to other new moms, as well as adults in general. Yes, I cried as I shared my story. The other women in the group were very caring and helpful. I thought I finally had a place to go and people to talk to. The second time I attended, I was very emotional again, as I was had had a very difficult week. So again, I was crying. Let me be clear that I NEVER made any threats of harming myself or others. In response to my tears, Leslie started to pressure me to go to the hospital, including one in Rhode Island that she knew did not even accept my insurance. I felt very uncomfortable about this. I did not feel I needed to be in a psychiatric hospital. I was not in danger of harming myself or others, and I could not imagine being away from my baby. I started to get the feeling she was uncomfortable with my level of depression and simply wanted to pass me on to someone else. The women in the group continued to be comforting to me, and they really helped me, so I really wanted to keep going to the meetings to talk with them. A few days later, Leslie EMAILED me (yes, emailed) to reach out to me, and to tell me that if I felt unsafe to call 911. Again, I was confused. Why would I call 911? There she was, pressuring me to commit myself to a psychiatric hospital when that was absolutely not necessary, for the purpose of passing me along. I responded very politely that I was doing much better, had a productive meeting with my psychiatrist the day before, and thanked her for reaching out to me. Four days later she sent me an EMAIL (yes, an email) telling me not to return to the group. She said that the group was "not for those who are in severe crisis such as [myself]," and that having someone like me in the group was "disturbing" and "anxiety provoking." The fact that she notified me this via email is evident of how unprofessional and callous Leslie is. What was even worse, she did not offer any alternative care for me - just a "take care of yourself" and go find a therapist, when she knew I already had one! I have read the email over and over, trying to figure out what she meant by "crisis." The word "crisis" means a time of distress and turmoil. Is that not someone with depression? My heart broke when I read that email. Just when I thought I could not feel any lonelier, sadder, and more worthless, I spiraled into an even deeper depression. I could not stop wondering what I did or said wrong. All I did was cry in the meetings. I thought that was ok to do. I was never disrespectful or aggressive in anyway, just scared, lonely, and desperate to find others to whom I could relate. I am absolutely bewildered that people like this are allowed to continue working with people suffering from mental illness. It is clear to me now that Leslie did not dismiss me from the group because I was exasperating the others' depression and anxiety; Leslie just wanted to do what made Leslie more comfortable, as she clearly is not qualified to treat people with depression. Had she just came out and told me the truth, I would have understood, but instead, she placed the blame on me and ostracized me. She took something precious away from me, she took away what little faith I had left in people. I don't know if I will ever get that back. read more