Media Kit

Alison Leslie, LCSW, SEP

Clinical Trainer & Consultant
Specializing in EMDR, Somatic Therapy & the Human-Animal Bond

Bio

Alison Leslie is a trauma-informed clinician, trainer, and consultant who creates safe spaces where therapists feel seen, supported, and empowered. She specializes in EMDR, somatic therapy, and the healing power of the human-animal bond—one of the few practitioners blending these modalities at an expert level. Known for her warm, curiosity-based teaching approach, Alison helps mental health professionals reconnect with their clinical confidence and trust their own intuitive wisdom, especially when working with complex cases.

Speaking Topics

Clinical Confidence Through Curiosity and Connection
EMDR & Somatic Therapy Integration
The Human-Animal Bond in Clinical Practice
Ego State Interventions That Actually Work
Supporting the Clinician's Nervous System
The Nest Metaphor: A Somatic Case Conceptualization Framework

Credentials

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)
EMDRIA-Approved Trainer and Consultant
Advanced Trainer, Trauma Therapist Institute
Co-author, Handbook of Animal Assisted Therapy (6th edition)

Recent Work

Recent Presentations

EMDRIA Conference (2023, 2024, 2025) In September 2024 presented on the topic: EMDR & Somatic Therapy
ISSTD Conference (2023)
APA Division 17 (2023) In September 2024 presented on the topic: Human Animal Bond & Polyvagal Theory

Publications

Wrote an article for the Go With That Magazine by EMDRIA titled Human-Animal Bond & EMDR
Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy Released in September 2024 - Contributed to the chapter on Trauma and Animal Assisted Therapy with a specific section on EMDR and Animal Assisted Therapy. In addition, wrote a "snapshot" on supporting a client or clinician through the loss of a therapy animal
New Lives: Stories of Rescued Dogs Helping, Healing and Giving Hope - Includes a few stories about the work Alison’s therapy dog, Marley

Podcasts

Appeared on Thrive, the Podcast - Joined Rebecca Kase on Thrive the podcast episode: Episode: The Human Animal Connection
Appeared on Taking Up Space

Community Education

The Delta Society - Developed training materials and serving as a subject matter expert for animal assisted services.
Sentience Working Group in association with the University of Denver Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection. This group developed the Declaration on Sentience In Animal Assisted Services:
- This Declaration was adopted at the August 2025 conference hosted by the International Association for Human Animal Interactions Organizations(IAHIAO)
Partnering with clinicians in Egypt - I partnered with Dr. Mona Ramadan to help bring Animal Assisted Services to the region. Dr. Mona Ramadan has nine years of experience in the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy field providing cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and has conducted many support groups for medically ill patients. Dr. Ramadan also conducts research and trains mental health professionals in psychiatry.
Dr. Ramadan has also completed the Hubert Humphrey fellowship ( a fulbright exchange program) at VCU in the field plans of substance use rehabilitation, during which she learned more about animal-assisted therapy in addiction service provision, and became familiar with recent developments and best practices in drug abuse policy, prevention, and treatment.
Dr. Ramadan is working on bringing Animal Assisted Therapy techniques and teaching to Egypt, specifically through trainings centered around the human animal bond and animal assisted services.