Her Story
About Leslee
My journey into addiction counseling began with my own personal struggles. When I was younger, I struggled with addiction and being in unhealthy relationships and domestic violence. After going through treatment and getting it together, I decided to become a substance abuse counselor and advocate for women. I've been in this field for about 17 years now, and I'm very passionate about the work I do. My typical day includes conducting assessments to bring new clients into the program, leading 3-hour IOP group sessions broken into 50-minute segments covering topics like relapse prevention, understanding triggers, and building self-esteem, and then doing individual sessions from 4 to 5 where I work directly with clients on their specific needs, whether that's depression, low self-esteem, or practical support like job searching. The individual sessions are guided by personalized treatment plans we create for each client. I've learned over the years that you never know who's going to stay sober - sometimes the person who's all over the place and really struggling can be the one who makes it, while someone with all the right answers can go right back out and start using again. That's why I never give up on people, because sometimes it takes 5, 6, 7 times before they actually do it. When I worked in California with women at a small facility with 90-day treatment programs, we had whole crews of people stay sober, and many of those women are now working in this field themselves, some even at the place where I worked. That always makes me happy.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Leslee
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, never take it home with you. In this field, people die from overdoses, or you know, I had a client that was murdered about a month ago. It can be really hard to make it through those times. I had a girl in California that jumped in front of a train. So, working with people that are depressed and in addiction can be a little overwhelming, and you just have to have a good family life and take care of yourself when you're not at work so that you can not burn out from all the stuff that happens. But it's a really good career, I love it. Helping people is my mission, to get better and to find joy in their life. That's what matters to me. Because I know everyone has their capacity to find happiness, and I want them to get up in the morning and watch the sun come up and say this is beautiful. Addiction takes you away from all that stuff.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Building self-esteem with people, never giving up, and having people work towards a better quality of life are my top three values when it comes to my work professionally. I want people to be excited about living their life and finding true happiness. I have a good family life outside of work and take care of myself so I don't burn out. I love to travel with my son, and instead of staying at big resorts, we stay around and into the culture of the people so we can meet people and see how they live differently from people here in America. I love animals, I have three dogs, and I just moved into a place where I can get a couple of miniature donkeys. I have a lot of stuff going on outside of my work, and that's what keeps me happy.
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