About Leslie:

Hi, I’m Leslie, Certified Child Life Specialist, Exposure Coach, and founder of Building Bravery.

For more than 13 years, I have supported children, teens, and families through some of life’s most difficult and emotional experiences. My background includes working in pediatric hospitals, emergency departments, outpatient settings, and adult intensive care units, where I helped children and families navigate illness, trauma, grief, uncertainty, and major life transitions with compassion and developmentally supportive care.

My own childhood experience being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at six years old deeply shaped the work I do today. I understand firsthand how overwhelming medical experiences, anxiety, and uncertainty can feel for both children and caregivers. That experience inspired my passion for helping families feel supported, understood, and less alone during difficult moments.

I created Building Bravery to bridge the gap between clinical support and real-life emotional care for children and families navigating anxiety, grief, illness, trauma, executive functioning challenges, and major life transitions. My approach blends Child Life expertise, grief-informed care, exposure-based support, and family collaboration to help children build confidence, process emotions safely, and move forward with greater resilience and connection.

I believe healing happens through relationships, emotional honesty, compassion, and small courageous steps. Whether supporting a child through anxiety, helping a family process grief, or building coping strategies around everyday challenges, my goal is always to create a safe and supportive space where children and families feel empowered, capable, and seen.

Areas of Expertise

  • Anxiety and OCD-related challenges

  • Exposure coaching and confidence-building

  • Pediatric medical experiences and medical trauma

  • Grief and bereavement support

  • Chronic illness adjustment

  • Executive functioning support

  • Parent coaching and family support

  • School collaboration and advocacy

  • Emotional coping and resilience-building

Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our two children, and our dog, Bogey, in the Hudson Valley. I also love creating through woodworking and art, and finding joy in the small moments of everyday life.