Laura Leedy

I'm sorry to hear that you're psychiatrist retired. It can be difficult finding someone new to work with. Unfortunately, I do not prescribe medications, but I can give you referrals for psychiatrists in your area. If you are still looking for one in San Jose, CA or that are available through telehealth, here are some you might call:
LifeStance Health (415)296-5290
Comprehensive Psychiatric Services (408)295-8111
SavantCare (650)690-2362
Mindpath Health (408)400-0333
Lumos Psychiatric Services (408)442-5326

I hope this helps, and I wish you all the best in your journey!

I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like there have been a lot of distressing things going on lately as a result of the memories of past events. I know you said you've tried a lot of things in hopes of reducing these symptoms, but I wonder if you have tried Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR for short? EMDR is one of the world's most researched and most effective treatments for trauma. It has also been proven to work faster than traditional talk therapies.
So a little bit about trauma. Everyone has a right and left side of our brain. One is all rational thought and one is all emotion. Those sides do not like to talk with each or work together. The only time they do is during the stage of REM sleep where the brain is processing everything from short term memory into long term memory and enhancing the neural pathways that have been created throughout our lives. What happens with trauma is that it actually stops the neural pathway it is in from continuing to grow and adapt. This is why when we are reminded of the trauma, whether from a sound, smell, or sight, our brain instantly takes us back to that traumatic incident and tells us that we are in danger, causing traumatic reactions such as our hearts racing, difficulty breathing, shaking, cold or hot flashes, dizziness or nausea, and more.
The way EMDR can help is by opening up that neural pathway in session and allowing it to heal so that it can begin adapting and growing once again, decreasing the frequency and intensity of the distress we currently feel.
If you would like more information about EMDR, or would like to schedule a free 15 minute consultation, please call or text (325)644-8757. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Thank you for reaching out. It can be very distressing having to deal with frequent panic attacks. The first step would be discussing what your experience with them is, and if there are any known triggers for them. From there, we can work to decrease the intensity and frequency of them through the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR for short. If you would like more information on how CBT and EMDR could help, please call or text (325)644-8757 to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Unfortunately, there is no one answer for this. We are all unique, therefore our treatment should be unique as well. As such, everyone heals at their own pace. It also depends on how much work is done outside of the therapy session. If we are willing to work on the things we discuss and practice in sessions, then we are going to heal faster than if we choose follow our previous steps and only work on ourselves during session. If you would like more information on how psychotherapy could help, please call or text (325)644-8757 to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is traditionally one of the most effective therapies used to treat anxiety. However, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is also highly recommended as it works to connect and heal both the rational and emotional side of the brain in order to decrease the distress caused by our anxiety. EMDR also works to heal our internal beliefs often caused by our anxiety, such as "I'm not good enough" or "I can't handle it". If you would like more information about how CBT or EMDR could help you, please call or text (325)644-8757 to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to talking with you soon!

I'm so glad to hear that your friend has you for support, that is so immensely helpful during this stressful time. Unfortunately, I do not work with schizophrenia, but if you would like to contact me directly, I would be happy to give you some referrals to counselors in your area that would be able to help. My number is (325)644-8757. I wish you and your friend all the best!

I'm sorry to hear that. Yes, psychotherapy could definitely be beneficial in learning to recover and move on from significant life events such as divorce. There are a lot of emotions we go through during divorce. It's not just the stress of arguments and legal proceedings. It's also the uncertainty of the future. We spent so much time and energy into building a life we thought we would have forever. Now, everything has changed, and we must re-learn who we are and how we define ourselves outside of the marriage, home, and life that we no longer have. High conflict divorces also tend to leave us with some traumatic experiences that we need to work through in order to heal and move forward. If you would like more information on how psychotherapy could help, please call or text (325)644-8757 to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Psychotherapy is considered very beneficial for people struggling with anxiety. It can be hard, and frankly exhausting, fighting with our mind, constantly going through the "What If" thoughts and rabbit holes they lead to. Psychotherapy can help you to learn more about yourself, how your brain works, and how to decrease the distress caused by anxiety. If you would like more information about how psychotherapy could help, please call or text (325)644-8757 to schedule a free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to talking with you soon!