Leah DeRose: Cultivating Culture and Championing Mental Health Awareness

DeRose Therapy Group provides mental health and wellness services that are rooted in the understanding that they owe their clients the highest standards of care, treating everyone with the same attention and compassion they would expect for themselves and their loved ones. This journey of helping others to achieve their full potential and live fulfilling lives is what drives Leah DeRose, Licensed Therapist & CEO at DeRose Therapy Group to put into practice. Through groups, community collaborations, and wholistic treatment approaches, Leah strives to build a community where every client feels connected and empowered.

Redefining Wellness

With a diverse background that includes supporting children, guiding troubled teens, advocating for patients’ rights, and fostering relational healing within couples, Leah’s experience is vast and multifaceted. Over the past 8 years, she has adeptly developed and managed her practice, demonstrating her skills as both a therapist and an entrepreneur.

At DeRose Therapy Group, a premier mental health and wellness practice on the Central Coast of California, Leah and her team redefine wellness by offering a comprehensive range of services under one roof. Their philosophy centers on providing the highest standards of care, treating every client with the same compassion and attention they would expect for themselves and their loved ones.

Compassionate Care and Mental Health Advocacy

Leah appreciates and respects the profound impact she can have on her clients’ lives. Having experienced a challenging childhood herself, she understands firsthand the struggles of navigating past trauma, difficult family dynamics, and life obstacles. These experiences have shaped who she is today and have fueled her passion for helping others.

Leah knows how transformative therapy can be because it has been an integral part of her own journey. Seeing her clients thrive and knowing that she has made a difference in their lives is incredibly rewarding for her. She feels honored to witness their growth and resilience as they navigate through their unique challenges.

Leah is passionate about ending the stigma around mental health and believes that mental health is health and needs to be treated as such. This journey of helping others achieve their full potential and live fulfilling lives is what drives her every day in her practice.

Fostering Client Growth and Resilience

One of the most rewarding aspects of Leah’s work as a therapist is witnessing the profound positive changes in her clients’ lives. She recalls working with a client who struggled with severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. When this client first came to her, they were overwhelmed and felt trapped in their cycle of thoughts and behaviors. By providing psychoeducation, she helped them understand their symptoms and feel validated, which was a crucial first step in their therapeutic journey. By offering a safe space and the appropriate therapeutic modality, they were able to learn new skills that significantly reduced their symptoms and the distress they had previously experienced.

This client had previously sought help but had not found the support or treatment that was truly beneficial. Through their work together, the client began to understand their symptoms better and learned techniques to manage their anxiety. It was incredibly rewarding for Leah to see them gradually gain control over their life, moving from merely managing their daily activities to truly thriving.

Leah often says that while the clients she works with may be able to manage their lives without her services, they truly thrive when they engage in the therapeutic and wellness process.

Commitment to Sustainable Mental Health Practices

Leah advocates for systemic change and fosters a supportive, sustainable work environment for mental health professionals. Having worked for county behavioral health for nearly 10 years, she gained invaluable experience but realized that a lifelong commitment to agency work would not allow her to provide the best care while maintaining her own well-being.

Leah strongly challenges the pervasive message that burnout is inevitable for therapists. The insurance system’s shortcomings, where therapists are reimbursed significantly less than other health providers, contribute to a reluctance to accept insurance, making it harder for clients to access care. She believes therapists deserve a working environment and schedule that promotes longevity rather than burnout. She aims to create a balance by advocating for better reimbursement rates and sustainable work conditions for therapists.

Another important aspect of Leah’s work is providing clinical supervision to associate therapists. By focusing on both personal and professional growth, she believes therapists are equipped with more tools to perform better work. She emphasizes that therapists are held to a higher standard, as they should be, and consistent, supportive, and educational supervision enables them to provide the best care to their clients.

Redefining Mental Health Care and Advocacy

Leah currently serves on the board of her local chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). This role has been an exciting opportunity for her to explore and grow. She is committed to creating a supportive community for mental health and wellness providers. Through her group practice, she has organized numerous networking events for therapists in the community. Her position on the CAMFT board allows her to extend her support and networking options and create more community between mental health professionals.

Building Connections

For Leah and her group practice, creating a supportive and connected environment is a fundamental aspect of their approach. Leah, as a therapist, firmly believes that fostering such an environment significantly enhances the therapeutic process and promotes overall well-being. Emphasizing a sense of connection and community, they strive to create a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment where both therapists and clients can thrive.

Through various avenues such as groups, community collaborations, and wholistic treatment approaches, Leah and her team work to build a community where every client feels connected and empowered. They actively encourage clients to develop daily self-care skills, including social and community engagement, as they recognize the positive long-term impact this can have on their success. This commitment to wholistic support underscores Leah’s dedication to her clients’ well-being and success.

Fostering Community and Collaboration in Mental Health and Wellness

Leah emphasizes the importance of connection within their group practice, considering it a significant focus and intention. Within the practice, they prioritize supporting and connecting the providers together, fostering a sense of connection each day. Whether through informal chats in the office, group walks, or monthly team-building activities, they actively cultivate a supportive team culture.

Beyond the practice, Leah has been organizing networking and social events for several years. Recognizing the potential loneliness of working in private practice or within an agency without strong connections, she believes in the necessity of community engagement for personal and professional growth through collaboration and consultation. Hosting these events has been personally rewarding for her. For instance, a recent networking event attracted over 50 therapists and wellness providers from the community, fostering valuable connections.

Additionally, she organized a mental health and wellness symposium where DeRose Therapy Group collaborated with 10 other local wellness businesses, opening attendance to the community. This symposium provided attendees with opportunities to learn about and participate in various services, including psychotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, dental care, residential treatment, and more. Through these initiatives, Leah and her team actively promote community engagement and collaboration in the mental health and wellness field.

Impact of Therapy on Individuals and Society

Leah’s work as a therapist and clinical supervisor plays a crucial role in cultivating a healthier and more well-adjusted society in several key ways. Firstly, by assisting individuals in addressing and overcoming their mental health challenges, she empowers them to lead more fulfilling and productive lives. When individuals achieve mental health and emotional resilience, they positively contribute to their families, workplaces, and communities.

Advocating for Mental Health

Leah hopes for an increase in awareness and understanding of mental health issues, which would lead to reduced stigma and greater acceptance of seeking help for mental health concerns. She envisions a cultural shift that paves the way for more people to access the support they need without fear of judgment or discrimination. She advocates for increased funding for mental health services, expanded insurance coverage for clients and better reimbursement for therapists, and investments in therapists to ensure that more individuals have access to high-quality mental health care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Integrative care is a particular passion for Leah. She believes that integrating mental health care into primary care settings and other wellness and healthcare settings is crucial. She advocates for a wholistic approach to care, where multiple providers collaborate to facilitate change and healing, ultimately leading to overall well-being. Through this integrative approach, she envisions a future where individuals can achieve whole health and wellness.