Biography

I am a psychotherapist and writer based in Brooklyn, NY.

Currently I work at group practices in Midtown Manhattan and Park Slope.  I also write frequently about psychological wellbeing for The New York Times. Follow me @AldermanLesley, where I tweet new perspectives on mental health.

I offer treatment for adults and couples. My goal is to help clients identify the challenges and blocks that may be preventing them from living in a satisfying way. I help clients identify what is most meaningful to them, so the choices they make begin to have new purpose. My approach is relational, but I also use elements of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I have done advanced training in interpersonal psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the William Alanson White Institute and in couples therapy through the Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy.

As a journalist, I have worked as a deputy editor at Real Simple, and a staff writer for Money magazine. I co-authored the The New York Times Patient Money column.  The Book of Times (WilliamMorrow), a compendium of facts about measured time, was published in 2013 and was well-reviewed in People, Parade, Yahoo!, Mental Floss and The New York Post. I edited the book, First Impressions: What You Don’t Know About How Others See You (Bantam), which was translated into 24 languages.

I graduated magna cum laude from Hamilton College with a degree in psychology.  I received my Master of Social Work degree from New York University, where I was a member of the Phi Alpha honor society.