Leslie A. Sickels 

LCSW, Therapist

autism and trauma therapy - spectrumservicesnyc.com

Leslie A. Sickels 

LCSW, Therapist

Leslie A. Sickels, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker in NYC. Her areas of expertise include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neurodiverse relationships, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Much of her work focuses on gender and sexuality as they relate to the unique concerns of individuals with ASD. Leslie utilizes a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach and integrates trauma-informed practices into her work. She provides psychotherapy, which often includes building social skills, improving executive functioning, and strengthening relationships.

Along with individual therapy, Leslie provides counseling to neurodiverse couples, in which one or both partners are on the autism spectrum. She supports couples in enhancing communication and working through challenges in their partnership. Leslie’s work focuses on neurodiversity as an asset in relationships. Her work is goal-oriented and concrete so that couples can identify and understand neurodiversity in their partnership and develop tools to strengthen their relationship. Leslie also provides supportive services, including consultation and coaching for partners of individuals with ASD.

Autism

“The impulse to heal is real and powerful and lies within the client. Our job is to evoke that healing power… and support it in its expression and development. We are not the healers. We are the context in which healing is inspired.”
- Ron Kurtz

Trauma

“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness...Trauma is about loss of connection—to ourselves, our bodies, our families, to others, and to the world around us. This disconnection is often hard to recognize because it doesn't happen all at once but rather over time.”
- Peter Levine