About Alison

Hi, I'm Alison Leslie, and I'm here to help you trust the whisper inside that knows you're capable of more than you've been told.

My Journey: From Camp Counselor to Healing Guide

My path to this work began on the steps of a summer camp dining hall, sitting with homesick campers who needed someone to see them exactly as they were. Even then, I was drawn to those who were struggling, finding joy in helping young faces light up with possibility again. I thought my future would be working with kids in the wilderness—I even got my degree in outdoor recreation—but life had different plans.

When the job market taught me I needed different credentials, I found myself at the University of Denver pursuing my MSW. That's where I discovered Animal Assisted Social Work, a field that felt like coming home. For seven years, my therapy dog Marley and I walked alongside clients in foster care, residential treatment, and families navigating dysfunction. We helped people heal through doing, through connection, through the simple presence of unconditional love.

But then Marley retired, and I faced an identity crisis that would reshape everything I thought I knew about healing.

A soft place to land, learn, and lean into your own wisdom

What I Learned: The Science Behind the Magic

Without Marley, I felt lost. Who was I as a healer without my four-legged partner? For the first time, I joined a clinical group practice and dove deep into EMDR and Somatic Experiencing. I needed to understand not just that healing happened, but how and why.

What I discovered changed everything. Through studying neurobiology, polyvagal theory, and the mind-body connection, I finally understood why working with animals had been so powerful: they provided a level of neurobiological safety that was almost impossible for my traumatized clients to access any other way. The magic had science behind it.

I learned that our bodies are always recording, always remembering, always trying to keep us safe using old patterns and belief systems. I discovered that when we bring attention to internal sensations and states with curiosity instead of judgment, belief systems can be worked through in new ways. Old patterns can finally be released. The body can tell the brain a new story.

This understanding led me to adopt Rae, my second therapy dog, and later Harry, my current companion. But now I wasn't just working intuitively—I was weaving together EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Transforming Touch, and the human-animal bond into something deeper and more sustainable.

What This Means for You Today

Whether you're a therapist seeking consultation or someone ready to heal, I bring a unique blend of heart and science to our work together. I've learned that you already have everything you need inside to heal—my job is to help you listen to that inner wisdom with more curiosity and less judgment.

For Fellow Clinicians: I specialize in helping therapists who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or uncertain with complex cases. In our consultation sessions, you'll find a space where you can show up authentically, without worry about coming "unprepared." I help you reconnect with your clinical intuition while building your toolkit with advanced techniques in EMDR, somatic therapy, ego state work, and the intentional inclusion of animals in healing.

As an EMDRIA-approved Trainer and Consultant, a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and someone who's written extensively on trauma recovery with animal support, I love creating those "aha!" moments where everything clicks. My goal isn't to have you work harder—it's to help you trust that your clients have their own healing wisdom, and your job is to be a curious, grounded guide.

For Those Ready to Heal: I work with adults who know that old patterns no longer serve them and are ready for something different. Together, we'll explore how your past has shaped your present, always with compassion for the adaptive strategies that once kept you safe. Using EMDR, somatic approaches, and the gentle presence of animals when helpful, we'll help your nervous system find new patterns of safety and connection.

The Invitation

Seventy million people share their lives with pets, yet most therapists never ask about these relationships or know how to include them intentionally in healing. I'm passionate about changing that—helping both clinicians and clients harness the neurobiological safety that animals naturally provide.

My approach is grounded in science but delivered with warmth. I believe in slowing down, staying curious, and looking for moments of joy even in the midst of challenge. I trust that healing happens not through force, but through witnessed presence and the gentle invitation to explore what's possible.

The whisper inside you that brought you here? That's your wisdom calling. Let's help it become a confident voice that guides you home to yourself.

Ready to begin? I invite you to reach out. We're on this journey together.

Credentials & Training:

  • LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

  • SEP, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

  • EMDRIA-Approved Trainer, Consultant, and Therapist

  • Certified in Transforming Touch

  • Advanced Trainer with Trauma Therapist Institute

Published Work:

  • Co-author, Handbook of Animal Assisted Therapy (6th edition)

  • "EMDR and the Human Animal Bond" (Go With That Magazine, 2023)

  • International presenter on trauma recovery and human-animal connection