Hi! I’m Leda.

Your mind is an intricate system—shaped by experience, wired for survival, and capable of profound change. Unexamined, it can confine you to cycles of fear, shame, and outdated habits, often leading to a sense of disconnection from yourself and others. True healing involves more than insight; it requires disrupting these patterns and compassionately reconnecting with the authentic parts of yourself that have been overshadowed.

As a therapist in training, I am dedicated to understanding how the mind operates, why it becomes stuck, and what facilitates meaningful change. My approach integrates neuroscience, parts work, somatic practices, and contemporary perspectives on complex PTSD—all aimed at enhancing your self-awareness and fostering genuine connections.

This is the essence of Going Cognito: emerging from the shadows of adaptation to fully inhabit your genuine self, fostering true belonging and connection.

Cognito: The Opposite of Incognito

Transition Coaching: A Trauma-Informed Approach

Trauma encompasses more than the events themselves—it includes how your nervous system and psyche adapt to survive. Whether you’ve experienced significant traumas (such as emotional or physical abuse, loss, neglect) or more subtle forms (like chronic stress, betrayal, self-doubt), their imprints can linger, influencing how you navigate the world, connect with others, and perceive yourself.

To Go Cognito is to reclaim what’s been obscured. It’s the process of bringing unconscious patterns into awareness—recognizing the survival mechanisms that once protected you but may now hinder your growth. For many, this journey is enriched by having a supportive witness.

Through an integrative blend of mindfulness, parts work, somatic regulation, attachment-focused strategies, and neuroscience-informed coaching, I assist you in exploring conditioned responses, reshaping narratives, and fostering new pathways toward healing. This collaborative process is uniquely tailored; no two paths are identical.

Healing involves more than revisiting the past—it leverages the brain’s neuroplasticity to cultivate new neural pathways oriented toward health, joy, and wholeness. By acknowledging and understanding these patterns, you can rebuild a sense of safety, reclaim agency, and reconnect—with yourself, others, and life itself.

When you Go Cognito, you cease concealing your true self to fit in; instead, you embrace authenticity to belong. This transition leads to a way of being where you can accept the present moment, regulate your nervous system, and move through life with greater ease, clarity, and genuineness.

Are you ready to Go Cognito?

Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate. - C.G. Jung

 You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck

I work with people who are ready to turn toward their pain and develop a new relationship with it. Many of us recognize our patterns but struggle to change them. Healing looks different for everyone—sometimes it comes through deep emotional work, other times through action, reframing, or even rest. There’s no one right way, but staying stuck in avoidance rarely leads to real change.

Emotional pain can feel unbearable, like touching fire or holding ice. Research confirms that emotional and physical pain activate overlapping regions of the brain, making distress feel just as real in the body as a physical wound. But unlike physical injuries, emotional pain—when engaged with safely and intentionally—has the potential to transform and heal.

Our patterns exist for a reason. Even the ones that hold us back were once strategies for survival. Healing isn’t about erasing them—it’s about understanding their purpose, integrating what serves us, and reshaping what no longer does.

Resistance to change isn’t just about comfort—it’s often a nervous system safety mechanism, reinforced by habit, past experiences, and survival instincts. Our brains create neuronal shortcuts through repetition, making certain patterns feel automatic. But just as they were wired in, they can be rewired—with awareness, practice, and the right support.

There are many paths to healing. The key is finding the one that works for you.

Ultimately, this is a mountain you must climb with your own two feet—but not alone. Relational neuroscience teaches us that healing begins with co-regulation before self-regulation. The nervous system thrives in relationship, support, and attunement.

Please note: My coaching services are distinct from therapy and do not include diagnosing or treating mental health conditions. Coaching is a non-clinical, goal-oriented process designed to support personal growth, relationships, career transitions, and overall wellness.

If you’re ready to take proactive steps toward a more fulfilling life, I’d be honored to support you.