Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheilah Ledesma.
Sheilah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to help people. I have always felt a true sense of joy from listening to others and making sure they feel heard. That joy grew and flourished into a passion in my life and led me to pursue a career in therapy. My calling became even more clear as I witnessed teens and adults free themselves of anxiety and deal with depression through their work in therapy with me. It absolutely moves me to watch my clients begin to understand their individual experience with anxiety and depression and find ways to begin living life their way. My work as a private practice therapist has been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. As owner of Lighter Living Counseling, I use my passion to help my clients live fully in the present and feel hopeful about the future.
Has it been a smooth road?
Pursuing my career as a private practice therapist didn’t happen right away. After graduating with my master’s degree from the University of Central Florida in Social Work in 2011, my first job was as a community mental health counselor for Memorial Healthcare System. I was required to provide in-home therapy. I would drive to 15 to 20 different places as north as Boca Raton and as south as Hallandale to see my clients on a weekly basis. Although my work as a community mental health counselor was rewarding, my ultimate dream was to be in a private practice setting. The five years of experience I gained before entering the private practice world equipped me and prepared me and I am thankful for the challenges that came with my first job.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Lighter Living Counseling story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m the owner of Lighter Living Counseling. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I provide counseling and coaching for teens and adults in the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Weston, FL. I specialize in counseling for teens and adults and I have worked with individuals who are facing a variety of challenges such as anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationship issues and stress management. My goal is to help my clients navigate what they’re struggling with and feel more hopeful and confident.
At Lighter Living Counseling, my clients will have their specific needs met in a way that is warm, genuine, and collaborative. My passion is helping teens and adults release anxiety and work through depression so they can experience relief from their symptoms and achieve their goals as soon as possible. Each person deserves to enjoy and live life to the fullest. I am here to help my clients understand their thoughts and feelings, connect more with themselves and others, and establish a healthier balance for their lives. I am known for helping my clients learn and develop better ways to handle the issues that are standing in the way of their happiness and health. Most of my clients say, “I feel so much lighter walking out of my sessions” and that makes me feel immensely proud of the work that is achieved at Lighter Living Counseling.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In the next 5-10 years, I hope my work in therapy can continue impacting the mental health community in South Florida as well as shift the stigma that therapy often carries with it. I want to be able to help people to see and understand how therapy can be used as a preventative approach instead of people only coming to therapy because they “need” it. I also visualize practicing in multiple locations in the greater Fort Lauderdale area as well as offer telehealth services (phone sessions, video sessions, etc.) to make therapy more accessible and convenient.
Pricing:
- 50-minute face to face therapy session – $120
- 50 minute phone/video call session – $100
Contact Info:
- Address: 2419 East Commercial Blvd. Suite 203 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
- Website: https://www.lighterlivingcounseling.com/
- Phone: 954 228 0803
- Email: sheilah@lighterlivingcounseling.com
- Instagram: lighterlivingtoday
- Other: https://goo.gl/maps/stZKd6mXAqFXNyXFA
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