Leslie Gauntt, LSW – Staff Psychotherapist

(she/her/hers)

About Me:

I am a Licensed Social Worker specializing in work with women and couples. I have been practicing for 10 years in a variety of settings including community mental health, pediatric autism care, family support, and career counseling.

Why I’m a Therapist:

From a young age, I’ve always felt drawn to helping others. Raised by a teacher, I grew up with a deep appreciation for education, empathy, and service. After college, I spent a transformative year in Juneau, Alaska as an AmeriCorps volunteer, supporting adults with intellectual disabilities at a community art studio. That experience solidified my decision to pursue a degree in Social Work, a field that has since allowed me to walk alongside individuals of all ages, from toddlers to seniors in their 70s.

I’m deeply passionate about connecting with people across the lifespan and being part of their journeys through life’s many twists and turns. My work is rooted in a fierce commitment to my clients and a genuine honor in being trusted with their stories.

About six years into my career, I became a first-time mother during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, I was also working closely with families and witnessed firsthand the raw, complex realities parents face, especially in times of crisis. My own postpartum experience was challenging even with a supportive partner, family and background in mental health. Through that personal journey, I found my version of healing and care, and with it, a new professional calling.

I now focus my clinical work on supporting parents and parents-to-be, from pre-conception through the postpartum period, with a special emphasis on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). These personal and professional experiences have shaped the mother and clinician I am today.

Education & Training:

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Women & Gender Studies at Loyola University of Chicago in 2011. In 2015, I obtained my Masters degree in Social Work at Jane Addams School of Social Work at University of Illinois Chicago. In graduate school, I participated in a pre-doctoral leadership training program, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND), where I completed 300 hours of an interdisciplinary clinical training through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at UIC. I’m currently working towards my Perinatal Mental Health Certification, PMH-C, through Postpartum Support International and my Gottman Level 1 training in couples therapy.

Specialties & Approach:

I provide services to individuals and couples in the following areas: Depression, Anxiety disorders, navigating neurodivergence, career transitions, parenting challenges, relationship stress, pregnancy loss, infertility, perinatal mood/anxiety disorders, grief & loss, and women’s issues across the lifespan.

I have training and experience utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), internal family systems (IFS), family systems, solution-focused and strengths-based approaches with clients based on their specific needs.