MEET Your Therapist
ALYSSA LEIGHT
ASW, LCSW, CSAT Candidate
Clinical Director & Principal Therapist
Alyssa is a fully Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York, Connecticut and Florida. She is also an Accredited Social Worker with the AASW in Australia and a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist candidate. She has a decade of experience providing psychotherapy to individuals, couples and groups around the world. Her style is direct, compassionate, authentic, real and change oriented. Alyssa specialises in anxiety, relationships, addiction (drugs & alcohol /sex / porn) and trauma.
I came to this work because I experienced first hand how transformative the right therapy can be. I started therapy at 19, working through anxiety, perfectionism, relationship patterns, and understanding how my upbringing shaped who I'd become. That decade-long journey didn't just change my life, it revealed my calling. I wanted to create the same kind of space for others that had been created for me: one where you could be completely honest, work through what's hard, and actually heal.
I began my career in New York City working with young adults, then at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, where I specialised in addiction and eventually became Supervisor of Addiction Services. Over the past decade of clinical practice, my work has centred on anxiety, relationships (attachment), addiction, and complex trauma. Through extensive postgraduate training and ongoing professional development, I've built expertise in evidence-based approaches including ACT, DBT, CBT, Trauma, Somatic Therapy, IFS and the Gottman Method. These areas aren't just my areas of expertise, they're where I've seen the most profound change happen when people have the right support.
I'm constantly learning new therapeutic approaches because I believe therapy works best when it's tailored to you, not forced into a rigid model. What matters most is creating a safe, trusting relationship where you don't have to perform or have it all together. Therapy should feel real and authentic, a place where you can show up messy and imperfect. That's where growth actually happens. I believe deeply in every person's capacity to change, to unlearn painful patterns, and to build healthier ones.
After a lifetime in New York, I moved to Bali and then Australia, seeking more balance and intentionality in my own life. I continue to work with clients both locally in Australia and in the US, and I'd be honoured to walk alongside you on your journey.
ABOUT ALYSSA
My Background
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Therapeutic Modalities
Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) Certification Candidate - IITAP (Mod 1)
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy - Psychwire, Dr. Russ Harris (2025)
Emotion Focused Therapy - Psychwire, Dr. Sue Johnson (2022)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Fundamentals - Psychwire, Beck Institute (2018)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Skills Training - Psychwire, Linehan Institute (2018)
Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 1 - The Gottman Institute (2023)
The Gottman Method for Affairs and Trauma - Pesi Institute (2022)
Trauma Specific Modalities
EMDR from Start to Finish - Pesi Institute (In Process)
Cognitive Processing Therapy - Veterans Health Administration (2025)
Healing Trauma - Embody Lab, Peter Levine (2025)
Introduction to Somatic Experiencing - Pesi Institute, Peter Levine (2024)
Trauma Treatment Certification: EMDR, CBT and Somatic-Based Interventions - Pesi Institute (2020)
Clinical Supervision & Leadership
Clinical Supervision in Mental Health Practice - National Association of Social Workers (2025)
Ethical Leadership in Social Work - AASW (2025)
Making the Most of Clinical Supervision - AASW (2024)
Clinical Supervision - Pesi Institute (2024)
Professional Ethics & Safety
Suicide First Aid - AASW (2024)
Ethical Obligations of Mental Health Professionals - New York University (2024)
Reporting of Child Abuse and Maltreatment - NYS Education Department (2024)
Working in Domestic Violence - AASW (2024)
Complementary & Holistic Approaches
200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, RYT - House of Om (2024)
200 Hour Meditation Teacher Training - The Yoga Barn (2023)
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Master of Social Work, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, 2016
Bachelor of Philosophy, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, BARNARD COLLEGE, 2013
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Accredited Social Worker, Australian Association of Social Workers
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, New York – 089343
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Florida – SW24720
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Connecticut - 15481
Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Candidate
HOW WE’LL WORK TOGETHER
An Approach That Adapts to You
I don't follow a script or force you into a predetermined treatment model. Depending on what you're navigating, we'll draw from a variety of approaches. The work shifts as you do because your needs aren't static.
You Set the Pace, I Provide the Framework
Sessions are conversational, not clinical. You won't sit across from someone telling you what's wrong or what to do. Instead, we'll explore what's underneath the struggles, make sense of patterns you keep running into, and develop tools that actually apply to your life. You lead; I guide.
A Space Where You Can Be Real
I'm not interested in surface-level pleasantries or therapy that feels like a performance. You can bring the messy, complicated, unfiltered version of yourself here. That's not just welcome, it's necessary. Real change happens when you don't have to pretend, and trust is built through honesty, not perfection.
Ready to get started?