Joanna de Leon, AMFT (she, siya)

You can experience more fulfillment in your life and relationships! I’m here to support you.

Hi! I’m Joanna.

I’m the type of therapist who understands life is dark sometimes and you might be looking for a therapist to hold the light along the way so you can heal and get where you want to go.

My clients tell me that I help them feel comfortable to talk about their feelings; they thank me for not trying to solve their problems for them but instead helping them explore everything until they feel better and confident they can solve their own problems.

I provide anxiety & trauma therapy for adults:

I help first- and second- generation (children of) immigrants who are coming to therapy for the first time.

If your parents sacrificed everything to be here, it feels like you have to live up to their expectations–but you also just want to live your own life. There’s an unspoken rule to be resilient, but sometimes you just want to share your feelings without feeling weak. You might feel responsible for taking on so many different roles for your loved ones. It’s exhausting.

You feel exhausted, guilty and uncertain.  You worry that it will never be okay to make mistakes, that love means sacrificing for others, and that you just need to “push through” “tough it out” or that therapy is only for “crazy people”.

Through therapy, you can feel a sense of balance in life, accepted for who you are and safe to express your emotions, and supported by family and community–knowing it’s ok to ask for help.

I also provide couples therapy:

I help couples who avoid conflict to maintain the peace, but feel disconnected and alone.

You love each other and want to get it right. Well-meaning, you both might tend to withdraw and shut down when you sense conflict arising in order to protect yourself and the relationship. You might have been taught early on that conflict spelled out the end of a relationship. But now, you feel alone and completely disconnected from each other. You would love to talk openly about how you feel and create moments of physical and emotional intimacy, but you are feeling so scared and have no idea where to even start.

My couples start therapy feeling sad, scared, and unappreciated.  Each partner feels worried they aren’t enough, like they aren’t important to their partner anymore, like they are stuck going through the motions.

Through therapy, they feel seen & understood, close & connected, and safe to be vulnerable.  They can bravely talk about things and feel closer than ever.

On a personal note…

As a 1.5-generation Filipina American, I understand both the beauty and the struggles of growing up in two different cultures. We did our best to cope with our experiences; now in adulthood we can find the balance we want and our own voice.

My 12–year-old dog, Kobe, has been with me throughout undergrad, grad school and life as a therapist (I think he deserves an honorary dog-ree 😊). I love reading, listening to audiobooks and podcasts about different topics like psychology/attachment-related stuff, fiction (particularly thrillers and romance), and basketball. I value continually working on my own healing so I can more fully show up for my clients.

Love Heal Grow Residency Trainings
Gottman Method Couples Therapy: Level I, Level 2, Trauma & Infidelity
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy w/ Sue Johnson
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Individuals w/ Sue Johnson
Sex Therapy: Common Sexual Concerns of Individuals & Couples, LGBTQIA Affirming Therapy, Alternative Sexualities/Non Traditional Relationships
Trauma Therapy
Anti-Racism & Culturally Affirming Care

Help for First & Second Gen

Help for Couples