I am a psychotherapist and spiritual teacher.  I work with those who see their life as a journey, either because they aspire to awaken in this life time, or because they believe that self-inquiry will bring them closer to the depth and beauty of life.  I offer individual sessions and group work.  My blog will allow you to get acquainted with my approach to teaching.  

Please Note: Covid caused an upheaval in my group work.  Currently I am not running groups for beginners.  The following descriptions give you an idea of the direction of my work.  Feel free to reach out via the contact page if you are interested in working together.

The Meditative Self-Inquiry group best represents Leslie's work.  This gathering begins in silence and evolves into mindful dialogue. The inspiration for this group includes the Quaker meeting, Zen Buddhist meditation and insight oriented psychotherapy.  After a period of silence during which members turn inward, each individual has the space to share reflections with the group.  After each person who would like to share has done so, Leslie initiates a dialogue to deepen reflection.

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Based on Basho's Journey to the Deep North, Leslie also offers a Writing Practice group that uses tanka writing to cultivate insight and perception.  Tanka is a Japanese form of poetry that predates haiku.  Tanka can be combined with prose to allow the writer ample time to express his perceptions succinctly.  Exploring inner landscapes, this group provides an opportunity to use creative writing for self-inquiry. You don't need to be a writer to join this group. While the work of self-clarification will make you a better writer, your writing is merely the byproduct of your effort. Don't mistake the byproduct for the goal!  Examples of writing practice by Leslie and her students can be found in Writing to Awaken and Tanka Practice.

The Mindful Relationship group focuses on using relationships for personal development and growth. Explore the way you project parts of your own psyche on to the other and learn to use beginner's mind in relationships with a long histories.  While most people who attend this group do so with their significant other, some come alone.  Both love relationships and important friendships are good starting points. The Mindful Relationship group is not a therapy group.  It is not about a lack of mental health.  Its focus is to discover fulfillment and meaning by transcending the challenges that are natural to human relation.  Leslie's essay on this work can be found in Relationship as Mindfulness.