Therapist profile
Leah Renfro, LCSW
Illinois LCSW - Family and relationship support
Continue with LeahAbout
- CBT techniques
- Gottman principles
- Motivational interviewing
About Leah
Leah Renfro is an Illinois LCSW with 14 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and major life changes including divorce and grief.
She uses straightforward, practical conversations to help people sort through what feels overwhelming. Sessions focus on skills for coping, clearer communication, and problem solving. Leah draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thinking and Client-Centered Therapy to keep the work focused on each person's concerns.
Leah has experience supporting people in blended and adoptive family situations, and those caring for others. She also works with people who are managing mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder in family settings. These topics come up alongside issues like intimacy, body image, and feeling isolated.
Her practice pays attention to everyday realities. Conversations include how parenting and career demands intersect with relationships and mental health. Practical tools, communication strategies, and paced emotional processing are common parts of sessions.
People can expect a calm, steady approach with clear goals and check-ins. Leah helps people identify small, manageable steps they can use between meetings. She encourages ongoing adjustments as life changes and new challenges arise.
How sessions work
How therapeutic approaches are used in online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and following the client's concerns. In practice this means the therapist reflects what matters most and helps the client set the agenda for each session. It suits people who want their experiences heard and prioritized while working toward practical change.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying patterns of thought and behavior that get in the way. Sessions include spotting unhelpful thinking, trying small experiments, and practicing new skills to reduce anxiety or depressive symptoms. This approach is useful for coping with stress, mood issues, and relationship tensions.
The therapist will treat finding the right approach as a collaborative process. Leah will talk with each person about goals, try methods that fit, and adjust based on what helps. The first few meetings are used to see what feels most useful and to agree on short-term goals.
Confirm the available online session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy home and work life, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people use sessions during breaks or between responsibilities. Licensed professionals adapt tools and homework so clients can practice skills in their everyday routines.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with at home?
Leah works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, parenting pressures, relationship strain, grief, and life transitions including divorce and career shifts.
How would she approach relationship or family concerns?
She combines Client-Centered conversation with techniques from the Gottman Method and CBT to improve communication and address interaction patterns that cause conflict.
How much experience does she bring?
Leah has 14 years of clinical experience working with adults and people involved in complex family situations.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in Illinois and practices from that state.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats does she offer?
Please confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to begin working together?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.