Welcome to My New Website: A More Personal Look at My Counseling Approach

I hope this site gives you a clear and personal sense of who I am, how I approach counseling, and what you might expect from the work we could do together.

Counseling can feel overwhelming, especially when you are not sure what to expect. You may be looking for help with anxiety, depression, body shame, persistent thought patterns, stress, difficult emotions, or simply a sense that something in your life needs to change. Whatever brings someone to counseling, I believe it helps to understand what is happening beneath the surface.

That is one reason neuroscience plays such an important role in the way I think about this work.

Our thoughts, emotions, habits, and reactions connect to how the brain and nervous system respond to our experiences. Learning more about those patterns can help make confusing or frustrating experiences feel a little more understandable.

At the same time, I do not believe counseling needs to feel like a classroom or a clinical lecture. Brain science can be explained in practical, relatable, and even interesting ways.

I hope that this website gives you an introduction to that approach and helps you decide whether it feels like a good fit for you.

A Neuroscience-Informed Approach to Counseling

Neuroscience provides an important framework for much of the work I do with clients.

We often experience thoughts, emotions, and reactions before we fully understand where they are coming from. Sometimes we know a certain way of thinking isn’t helping us, yet we keep returning to it. We may recognize a familiar emotional reaction but still find ourselves caught in it. We may understand something logically but have a much harder time feeling or responding differently.

Those experiences can be frustrating.

A neuroscience-informed perspective can give us another way to look at what is happening.

Instead of assuming every thought or reaction says something permanent about who we are, we can start looking at patterns the brain has learned over time. We can become curious about why certain responses show up so quickly, what keeps them going, and what might help create new possibilities.

That does not mean brain science can explain everything, and it certainly does not mean counseling is simply about learning facts about the brain.

For me, neuroscience is a useful starting point. It provides language and context for understanding some of the patterns we experience and gives us another way to talk about change.

The goal is always to make that information practical.

Understanding Patterns with Curiosity Instead of Judgment

Many people come to counseling feeling frustrated with themselves.

They may wonder why they cannot stop worrying, why the same thoughts keep returning, why they respond so strongly to certain situations, or why changing a familiar pattern can feel so difficult even when they genuinely want something different.

Those questions can easily turn into self-criticism.

• Why am I like this?
• Why can’t I just let this go?
• Why do I keep doing the same thing?
• Why can’t I think differently?

One shift counseling can make possible is moving from judgment to curiosity.

Instead of treating a reaction as evidence that something is wrong with you, we can slow down and look at what may be happening.

• What does your mind tend to focus on?
• What situations bring out certain thoughts or feelings?
• What has your brain learned to expect?
• What happens in your body when you become overwhelmed, worried, discouraged, or self-critical?

When we become curious about patterns, we create more room to understand them.

Understanding doesn’t automatically make a difficult thought or feeling disappear, but it can change how we relate to it. That can be an important part of responding differently.

Making Brain Science Easier to Understand

One of my priorities is making complex ideas easier to talk about.

Terms related to the brain, nervous system, mental health, and behavior can sound technical. They may also feel disconnected from everyday life when they are explained only through clinical language.

I prefer to make these ideas practical.

Sometimes that means using familiar examples. Sometimes it means humor. Sometimes a pop culture reference explains a concept more effectively than a complicated definition ever could.

The point is not to oversimplify what someone is experiencing or make light of something that feels difficult.

The goal is to make the information understandable enough that it actually becomes useful.

When you can recognize a pattern in yourself, put language around it, and understand a little more about why it may be happening, you may have more choices in how you respond.

That is much more valuable than simply knowing a scientific term.

Getting to Know Your “Chatter Girl”

Thoughts can become especially powerful when we automatically believe everything they tell us.

A thought may tell us that we are not doing enough, that something is going to go wrong, that everyone else has things figured out, or that one mistake says something terrible about who we are.

The fact that a thought appears does not necessarily make it true.

One shorthand I sometimes use for persistent conditioned or negative thought patterns is “Chatter Girl.”

The name gives us a way to notice the chatter without immediately becoming consumed by it.

Instead of thinking, “This thought is who I am,” we can begin to recognize, “There is that familiar pattern again.”

That small amount of distance can matter.

The goal is not necessarily to eliminate every negative or uncomfortable thought. Our minds produce thoughts constantly. Trying to control every thought can become exhausting.

Instead, counseling may involve becoming more aware of the thoughts that show up, noticing how much attention we give them, and deciding whether we want them to direct what happens next.

• You can notice a thought without allowing it to define you.
• You can hear the chatter without following every word.
• Mindfulness, Awareness, and Returning to the Present
• Mindfulness is another important part of my approach.
• Many of us spend a tremendous amount of time inside our heads.

We replay conversations. We replay conversations. We imagine what could go wrong tomorrow. We run through the same questions again and again. We become caught in stories about ourselves, other people, and what might happen next.

Sometimes we barely notice it is happening.

Mindfulness can help us notice when our attention has been pulled away from the present moment.

That does not mean we are expected to stop thinking or somehow keep our minds perfectly quiet. It means learning to notice where our attention is going and practicing ways to reconnect with what is happening right now.

That might include noticing sensations in the body, paying attention to breathing, observing thoughts without reacting immediately, or simply becoming more aware of what is around us.

Depending on the individual and the work we are doing together, I may also introduce practices such as meditation or centering prayer.

These are not requirements, and I do not present them as universal solutions. Different people connect with different practices.

They are simply tools that may help support awareness, presence, and a different relationship with our thoughts.

Counseling as a Partnership

I see counseling as a collaborative process.

I may bring knowledge, tools, questions, observations, and a neuroscience-informed perspective, but you bring something equally important: your own experiences.

You know what it feels like to live your life.

That means counseling is not about me telling you exactly what to think, feel, or do.

Instead, we work together to understand better what’s happening, recognize patterns, explore possibilities, and determine what feels useful for you.

The work can be serious, but I do not believe that means every conversation needs to feel formal or heavy.

My style makes room for curiosity, humor, playfulness, and honest conversation.

Sometimes humor creates enough space to look at something differently. Sometimes a simple example makes a complicated idea click. Sometimes we need to sit with something difficult without trying to fix it immediately.

Counseling can hold all of those moments.

Learning to Notice Before Automatically Reacting

Awareness is often an important part of creating change.

Many of our reactions happen quickly. A thought appears, an emotion follows, and suddenly we respond before we have much opportunity to consider what is happening.

Counseling can help slow that process down.

Over time, you may begin noticing a familiar thought earlier. You may recognize how your body responds in certain situations. You might catch yourself getting pulled into an old pattern and realize that you have other options.

The goal is not perfection.

It is not about never becoming anxious, discouraged, frustrated, or overwhelmed again.

Instead, the work may be about becoming more aware of what is happening and developing greater flexibility in how you respond.

Sometimes even a small pause between a thought and a reaction can create room for a different choice.

Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Space

I want people who visit this website, and people who work with me, to feel welcome.

That includes people of different races, orientations, backgrounds, identities, experiences, and belief systems.

Everyone comes to counseling with a different history and a different way of making sense of the world. Let’s approach those differences with respect and curiosity.

I also want conversations about mental health to feel accessible.

Plenty of intimidating information already exists online. People searching for answers can quickly encounter complicated terminology, overwhelming lists of symptoms, and explanations that make human experiences sound more distant or clinical than they need to be.

My goal is to offer another kind of conversation: clear, thoughtful, practical, and human.

What You Can Explore on This Website

Throughout this site, you can learn more about my counseling approach, professional background, and the ways neuroscience, mindfulness, awareness, and other tools may become part of the counseling process.

You can also explore information about some of the concerns that may bring people to counseling and get a better sense of what working together might look like.

As the website grows, I hope to continue adding educational resources that make topics related to the brain, mental health, thoughts, emotions, and everyday patterns easier to understand.

Those resources are meant to provide information and encourage curiosity. Website content is educational and is not a substitute for therapy.

Submitting a contact form does not, by itself, establish a therapeutic relationship.

If you are experiencing an emergency or are in immediate danger, call 911 rather than relying on a website contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does neuroscience-informed counseling mean?

A neuroscience-informed approach uses what we know about the brain and nervous system as one framework for understanding thoughts, emotions, reactions, and behavioral patterns. I use these concepts in practical, approachable ways rather than turning counseling sessions into science lessons.

What concerns can we talk about in counseling?

People come to counseling for many different reasons. My work may include concerns related to anxiety, depression, body shame, difficult thought patterns, emotional responses, stress, and other experiences that affect how someone feels about themselves or moves through everyday life.

The counseling process is individualized, so our work depends on what is bringing you in and what you hope to understand better or change.

Do I need to understand neuroscience before starting counseling?

Not at all.

You do not need any background in neuroscience, psychology, or mental health terminology. Part of my role is to explain ideas in a way that is understandable and relevant to your own experiences.

The goal is not for you to memorize information about the brain. It is to use helpful ideas to understand yourself better.

Is mindfulness always part of counseling?

Mindfulness and present-moment awareness may be useful parts of the work, but counseling is not one-size-fits-all.

Depending on the person, we may explore strategies such as noticing thoughts, reconnecting with the body, meditation, centering prayer, or other ways of becoming more present. Together, we can determine what feels useful and appropriate.

What can I expect from your counseling style?

I see counseling as a partnership. My style makes room for serious conversations as well as curiosity, humor, practical explanations, and honest discussion.

I want you to feel comfortable asking questions and exploring patterns without feeling as though you need to use clinical language or arrive with everything already figured out.

Interested in Learning More About Counseling?

Choosing a counselor is personal. Reading about someone’s approach can help, but sometimes the next step is simply reaching out and asking a few questions.

If the ideas on this site connect with what you have been experiencing, I invite you to explore more about my approach and background. You can also visit the contact page if you would like to ask about counseling or learn more about what working together may look like.

You don’t need the perfect words for what you are experiencing, and you don’t need to know exactly where the conversation will lead before you reach out.

Sometimes a good place to begin is simply recognizing that you would like something to feel different.

If you are ready to learn more, contact me to take the next step.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Leslie McKenna

I am a therapist with a neuroscience-informed approach to counseling, with experience helping clients navigate concerns such as anxiety, depression, body shame, and trauma. My work draws on brain science, mindfulness, practical coping skills, and EMDR training to help clients better understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and nervous system.

Latest posts by Leslie McKenna (see all)

• When Anxiety and Stress Start Interfering With Everyday Life: When Should You Talk to a Therapist? - September 15, 2026
• How to Find the Right Therapist for Women in Hickory, NC - September 8, 2026
• Welcome to My New Website: A More Personal Look at My Counseling Approach - September 1, 2026