Conversations with Hannah Leib
Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Leib.
Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and focus my work on children, adolescents, and teens. My passion for mental health began in my Junior year of College, I graduated from Pitzer College with a bachelor’s in psychology in 2016. During my junior year of college, I developed a severe eating disorder due to my low self-esteem and self-worth that was rooted through negative core beliefs in childhood. When I tried to see a therapist on campus (after my college friends had an intervention with me about my disorder), the wait to see a therapist was six weeks. I was shocked and also distraught. What was I supposed to do? I decided to start my own mental health support group for all five of the Claremont Colleges called Thrive. I developed a curriculum in which I picked a topic and would lead a group of students through discussions on mental health with certain topics.
No one came to the first meeting, but over time, many students began to come, and Thrive continued throughout my Junior and Senior Years. Three younger students asked if they could continue Thrive once I graduated, as it had such a positive impact on the mental health of many students. I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to continue mental health advocacy in Bulgaria once I graduated. I began my Master’s in Social Work in 2018 at USC, and once I began graduate school, my eating disorder came right back. Through therapy and medical help, I was able to fully recover and complete my master’s program. I graduated from my Masters in Social Work from USC and a Master’s in Jewish Nonprofit Management from Hebrew Union College in 2020. I have been working as a child therapist at Jewish Family Service LA in their emergency domestic violence shelter program for three years. It is an incredibly and impactful agency that helps many peoples lives. I am the only child clinician in the program and work with children ages 4-18 in crisis emergency domestic violence shelters for women and children who are survivors of intimate partner violence. I love my job and find so much passion in helping guide my clients to find the courage and confidence with expressing themselves.
In addition, I became Licensed in January of this year and have started a private practice in West Los Angeles on the side. My practice is called Grow and Glow Child Therapy LA. I specialize in working with OCD, anxiety, and self-esteem issues with children ages 4-18. My own experience with OCD as a child, that was undiagnosed until I was 17, taught me so much about how thoughts can unfortunately hold us back from being the versions of ourselves we want to be. I really wish that I had a therapist when I was younger so that I could have had a safe space to talk through my fears and anxieties. This is all why I believe in children receiving therapy. I can be another safe adult in their lives that provides a positive and safe space for growth with the hopes of helping my clients glow and shine in their lives.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I spoke about some of my struggles in the last section, but my own battles with anorexia and OCD were very challenging parts of my life. I am extremely close to my father and always have been. When I was a child (around age seven), my father began traveling every week for work. I developed a fear that he would die in a plane crash. I thought that it was my responsibility to protect him. (I am the oldest of three girls), and I developed many rituals that I “had to do”, or I believed my father would die in a plane crash. I never told anyone about this, and truly thought it was a superpower. It really disrupted my life, as I would take time out of my school day and childhood life to complete my rituals. It was not until 17 that I became diagnosed, once I had a panic attack and was taken to a psychiatrist. I have completed training on OCD and now specialize in it. My battle with anorexia in college and in the beginning of graduate school was very all-consuming, but let me to heal a lot of my inner wounds that stemmed in college. I am now very proud, confident, and a healthy adult.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a child / adolescent/ and teen therapist. I have worked at Domestic Violence Shelter Program as the only child therapist for three years. The children I work with have high levels of trauma and range in different mental health issues, such as anxiety, ADHD, self-esteem issues, and exposure to Domestic Violence. I am proud of my work because, especially at the Domestic Violence Shelters, I am usually the first therapist that the children I work with have ever met. This gives me the role of showing them that therapy is not scary and can be a very positive part of their lives.
In my private practice, I specialize in OCD, anxiety, and self-esteem issues. Because I had OCD in my earlier years, I know how challenging it can be to go through. I strongly believe in the impact of “Growing in order to Glow”. I am a very positive and energetic person who brings a lot of passion and fun spirit into my work. Ultimately, I want the children I work with to understand the value of exploring who they are, what core beliefs they have about themselves that may set them back, and building up positive self-talk so they can live their best lives
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I wish that I had believed in myself more and saw my own potential. I spent too much time in a limited/ scarcity mindset. I think it is very important to become your own best cheerleader and really own your self-worth.
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