I’m Leila, a Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of Align Counseling. I work with adolescents and adults navigating eating disorders, body image, trauma, neurodivergence, mood disorders, and identity.

I grew up dancing classical ballet, which gave me an early understanding of both the beauty of movement and the complicated pressures that can surround our bodies, achievement, and performance. Those experiences became part of what drew me to this work.

At the heart of my work is helping people understand themselves more deeply, loosen the grip of shame and perfectionism, and build a more sustainable relationship with themselves, their bodies, and their lives.

My Experience

I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado (LPC.0021507) and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington (LH61075178). I earned my master's degree in Counseling Psychology from The Seattle School. I worked in Residential eating disorder treatment from 2014-2020.

My areas of focus include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, ARFID, orthorexia, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), body image concerns, and compulsive exercise, as well as anxiety, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, autism, depression, self-harm, and borderline personality disorder. I also provide LGBTQ+ affirming care.

I draw on evidence-based approaches, including EMDR, CBT, DBT, and RO-DBT (Radically Open DBT, which is especially helpful for perfectionism and overcontrol), and I tailor them to each person.

I'm particularly passionate about helping people build self-esteem and develop a more respectful relationship with their bodies.