Headshot of Lea Flego LMFT
AUTHOR

Lea Flego MA, LMFT

she/her

Licensing & Certifications:

  • Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Oregon (License # T1944)
  • Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Washington (License # LF60915561)

Professional Background

Lea Flego is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has worked in the mental health field since 2014. She has worked in a variety of settings including high acuity child and adolescent residential care, community mental health for children and families and in her own private practice, BloomSpace Wellness, where she is currently practicing psychotherapy with adults, youth, couples and families.

Lea has experience working with a variety of mental health and relational issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, obsessive compulsive disorder, adjustment disorders, burnout, attachment injuries, marital and family conflict, parenting and communication issues.

Lea uses an eclectic approach to therapy, prioritizing models that are strengths-based, develop and sustain healthy relationships and address the body’s experience of mental health issues by incorporating attachment theory and an understanding of the nervous system. Models she uses most frequently include Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing and Emotion-Focused Therapy. Additionally, Lea incorporates other evidenced-based models including cognitive-behavioral and dialectical behavioral therapy.

The master’s program Lea attended when training as a therapist was built upon values of critical thinking, personal growth and social justice. This allowed her to observe the areas of power and privilege in her own life as well as her client’s and take into account the larger systems of power and oppression that impact and are inextricably linked to the health and wellbeing of individuals and their family systems. With this foundation, Lea practices non-discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, relationship status, religion or any other aspect of identity, encourage equitable participation during sessions and help cultivate experiences of agency, empowerment and liberation for my clients.

Lea’s passion is to utilize her training as a therapist to support holistic wellness for the clients she serves as well as improve the health and functioning of the larger systems of which we are a part.

Education

  • MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Oregon
  • BA in Psychology from Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

Professional Affiliations

Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Why I Write for Choosing Therapy

I began to write for Choosing Therapy because I wanted to diversify and strengthen my skills as a clinician. I continue to write for Choosing Therapy so that I can learn and share accurate, evidence-based mental health information to a large audience.

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Area of Focus

Lea brings a comprehensive approach to mental health, specializing in psychotherapy for individuals of all ages facing anxiety, depression, and trauma, as well as offering targeted support for couples and families to improve communication and resolve conflicts. Her expertise extends to combating burnout in helping professions through self-care strategies, and integrating somatic therapy into treatments for ADHD and other conditions.

  • Psychotherapy for adults and youth struggling with anxiety, depression and traumatic stress
  • Couples and family therapy, communication issues, conflict resolution, parenting
  • Anxiety due to trauma, attachment injuries and climate crisis
  • Burnout and compassion fatigue. Self-care and sustainability for those in helping professions and positions
  • Interpersonal neurobiology, somatic therapy
  • ADHD assessment and treatment
13 Signs Your Body Is releasing trauma

13 Signs Your Body Is Releasing Trauma

Trauma is the long-lasting impact of an event that was life-threatening or overwhelmed the body’s system. A traumatic event activates the body’s stress-response system and until fully recovered, the body remains in this state. When recovering from traumatic events, your body begins releasing trauma and moves back into a relaxed state.

March 3, 2023
how to help a teenager with depression

How to Help a Teenager With Depression: 10 Tips for Parents

Seeing symptoms of depression in your teenager can be alarming for parents, especially if you don’t know how to help. By feeling concerned and seeking information, you’ve already taken valuable steps to help your teen. The secret sauce for helping your teen struggling with depression is to help them establish a genuine connection with a trusted adult. This could be you, another family member, or a mental-health professional.

March 3, 2023
Paralyzing Anxiety

Paralyzing Anxiety: What It Is, Symptoms, & How to Cope

Paralyzing anxiety is a debilitating, but natural, response all bodies can experience under threat or significant stress. It is a full-body experience that creates a sensation of being frozen or stuck. Though it can be troubling to experience, especially without an understanding of what is happening, strategies exist that can manage the symptoms, and mental health professionals can help you cope.

March 3, 2023
Romantic vs Sexual Attraction

Sexual Attraction Vs. Romantic Attraction

When you meet someone new and you feel a “spark”, you may wonder if that attraction is just physical or if there’s more to it than that. If you experience attraction based on physical characteristics and sexual interest you’re experiencing sexual attraction - but if your interest in a new person is based more on getting to know them and forming a bond, your attraction is more romantic in nature.

March 3, 2023

“One of my favorite positive self-talk messages is, “I’m doing it!” I like to give myself a little praise for getting started on something hard rather than waiting until I’ve finished and I encourage my clients to do the same. Admitting you are struggling with your mental health and seeking out information are powerful steps and are worthy of recognition. So good job you for doing that and getting started on your healing journey. Congratulate yourself and know the determination in you that got you this far will continue to support you along the way.”