About Me
Meet Dr. Leia Charnin
Hi there, I'm Dr. Leia Charnin...
I’m a warm, direct and nerdy licensed psychologist, speaker, and author located in Charlotte, NC. I found my calling as a therapist naturally… as I’m curious, empathetic, and passionate about mental health. Introduce a new concept to me, and I’m immediately researching it, thinking, asking questions, and challenging myself and others to grow.
Other topics that delight me include every single dog that I see, the outdoors (I’m an avid hiker), and live music (that band nerd from high school will always be a part of my identity).
Conducting research on formation of stereotypes and prejudicial beliefs developed a deep sense of fascination in human behavior and development. This foundation resulted in my core value of being a social justice advocate. I prioritize equity and observe human experiences through a multicultural lens.
For the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of receiving extensive clinical training in order to help many different people in a wide variety of settings. I was trained as a scientist-practitioner, where I learned to apply research-based findings to therapeutic work with my clients. The culmination of my professional experiences resulted in a therapeutic approach that is rooted in trauma-informed, cognitive, and mindfulness therapies. I’ve dedicated myself to this path of learning about human behavior because I want to equip you with the knowledge to live a life that feels authentically fulfilling.
Therapies to Help You
Therapeutic Approaches
NAVIGATE YOUR EXPERIENCES
Your Therapy Journey
During the initial weeks of therapy, usually 4-6 sessions, we will identify your unique goals, learn research-based principles, and identify what is deeply important to you to begin the journey of getting unstuck.
A lot of life happens between sessions, so I encourage my clients to complete between-session work, including self-reflection writing, mindfulness exercises, and new values-oriented behaviors.
To help you navigate traumatic stress reactions, I offer two of the most widely studied, empirically supported treatments for PTSD, which includes Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure.
If you need support to navigate traumatic experiences, we will initially focus on safety stabilization and then chose a trauma-focused therapy that best fits your needs and healing.
DR. LEIA CHARNIN'S BACKGROUND
My Professional Experience Includes:
- BA in Psychology with Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a dissertation in implicit race bias and ethnocultural empathy
- APA Accredited Doctoral Internship at the University of Delaware’s Center for Counseling and Student Development
- Postdoctoral Fellowship at the VA Boston Healthcare System, specializing in PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder
- Adjunct Professor for graduate level classes, including Research Methods and Effective Interpersonal Communication
- Specialized training in psychological assessment and testing for academic, career, social-emotional, and behavioral concerns with children, adolescents, and young adults
- Published researcher and speaker on various topics: diversity issues, trauma-informed care, intimate partner violence, sexual orientation and sexuality, group therapy efficacy, and college success