This is warrior level work but the outcomes have been life changing. Who I am as a partner, individual and mother has been elevated by my work with Cindy Leavitt.
K., Bozeman, MT
Life is a miraculous gift bestowed upon us from moment to moment and most of us, myself included, spend far too many of these moments suffering in darkness, feeling alone, alienated, and convinced there is something wrong with us. When we sit together and dare to be honest with ourselves, and face and embrace what we have previously rejected inside, we discover the deep relief of finally being able to rest. No longer being at war with ourselves, we experience the profound sense of connection this creates - to ourselves, to the other, and to life itself. Even a momentary taste of this kind of encounter can unlock our innate potential for love, fulfill our deep need for connection, changing me and the person I am sitting with in magnificent ways. - Cindy
Cindy first discovered ISTDP in 2013. "I was in the midst of a breakdown in my own life and knew I needed to do some personal work to uncover the driving forces that had brought me to the painful place I found myself in. After over twenty years of engaging in transformational work of one kind or another, I was a veteran to the therapeutic process. I began working with a therapist in L.A. who came highly recommended, and within a few sessions it became clear to me that her approach was more focused and effective than anything I had experienced to date.
I became curious about what was happening “behind the green curtain” so to speak, what was informing her approach to our work together, and when I queried her, I learned that she was practicing a form of experiential dynamic therapy that was primarily informed by her training in ISTDP. It didn’t take long for me to decide that I wanted to become equipped to serve my clients with the same effectiveness and depth that she was serving me. Shortly upon completion of my own personal work with this therapist, I entered into a three-year training with one of her primary mentors so that I could eventually pass onto others the same kind of help she had given to me. Since that time, I have dedicated over 300 hours in group and individual supervision and training to learning this method and have found it to be one of the most demanding and rewarding personal and professional growth experiences I have ever undertaken."
Cindy completed a three-year core training in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) with Jon Frederickson, an award winning author and world renown experiential psychodynamic therapist at the Washington School of Psychiatry in Washington, D.C. She is currently involved in an advanced training group with Jon to further hone her therapeutic skills.
ISTDP is an accelerated model of psychodynamic psychotherapy. This method utilizes focused interventions which are informed by a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of attachment and the impact feelings, anxiety, and defenses have on
our emotional state and our interpersonal relationships. This experiential dynamic approach is designed to help you gain a direct experience of the precise ways in which the relational conditioning that was laid down in your first relationships causes your current suffering.
In our individual work together, we join forces to help you discover the automatic, habitual, and unconscious processes that have been driving your suffering and empower you to overcome your barriers to creating a more fulfilling life for yourself. By combining your heartfelt desire and willingness to engage the therapeutic process on behalf of your own healing with my advanced training, skills, and commitment to your goals, you become able to transform your suffering into the growth necessary to fulfilling your potential in this life.
"The therapist welcomes us as we are. One human meets another. She embraces our thoughts, feelings, and anxiety, and we experience what we fear: being loved as we are. Although in fact, we never fear being loved. We fear the pain and grief that arises when love's presence reveals its previous absence."
-Jon Frederickson
Individual Therapy
Thank you again for your unwavering focus and care. It is a marvel to witness my own heart-psyche and how much it has held, so quietly, for all these years. It is only through your guiding questions and absolute warmth that I have been able to allow this, and for this I have so much gratitude. Thank you for creating this space without judgement, this space where I get to feel the utmost respect.
-A.G., Canada
Turn Your Suffering Into Gold
Cindy came into my life while I was in the midst of an eight year duel with darkness and despair. Every tool in my box had been exhausted, I had no idea what else to try, and my self loathing was the highest it had ever been. Gracefully, generously, and compassionately, Cindy held up a mirror and subsequently walked with me as my heart slowly opened and I could fully embrace my shadow and my light. Over time, I reentered my marriage, my motherhood, and my womanhood with a sense of power, humor, creativity, and expansive love. Cindy is an amazing counselor, one of the best I've ever worked with, and I've worked with a few. I trust her with my life.
-K.C., Bozeman, MT