Hilary Leja, LCSW

Hilary Leja, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Lead at Little Otter, with over a decade of experience supporting children and families. She earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan and is trained in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) as a clinician and Within Agency Trainer, Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), and Problematic Sexual Behavior Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB-CBT) for school-aged and preschool-aged children in both group and family settings.

Hilary is passionate about early intervention work and the transformative healing power of strong attachment relationships as the blueprint for a happy and healthy life for both the child and their caregivers. Hilary’s clinical expertise includes working with children experiencing post-traumatic stress, attachment difficulties, behavioral and emotional regulation difficulties, anxiety, and depression. Her career has included community mental health Intensive In Home and Outpatient work, supporting children entering the foster care system, and providing clinical supervision to provisionally licensed clinicians and student interns. Within her role at Little Otter as a Clinical Lead, Hilary provides support with a reflective lens, supporting others in their journeys as mental health providers. Outside of work, Hilary enjoys reading, cooking, and taking walks with her golden retriever Oliver.

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