Leslie Zarker, LPC, LCPC

Licensed in Illinois · 6 years in practice

Leslie Zarker is a licensed counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship and intimacy concerns.

License and registration

LCPC, Illinois: 180.014249 · expires March 2027
LPC, Missouri: 2024010513 · expires June 2027
NPI: 1174237739 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 6
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Leslie

Leslie Zarker is a licensed counselor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship and intimacy concerns. She offers straightforward support for self-esteem, coping with life changes, grief, career questions, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue. Leslie aims to make starting therapy feel doable and respectful of each person’s pace.

Leslie creates a calm space where clients can say what they are feeling without judgment. She listens closely and helps people name what’s happening and what they want to change.

Background and approach

Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings as well as how to understand recurring patterns. Her work also covers issues like attachment and abandonment concerns, body image, caregiver stress, codependency, communication problems, and family of origin themes. She supports people dealing with the effects of trauma, first responder stress, and co-occurring challenges like autism and other diagnostic considerations.

The approach is flexible to address whatever topic is most pressing. Leslie holds a Licensed Professional Counselor credential in Missouri and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential in Illinois. She has six years of clinical experience in mental health settings and counseling roles.

That background informs a practical, down-to-earth style in sessions. People meet with Leslie for a mix of problem-solving and reflective work. She encourages small, achievable changes while also exploring deeper causes of repeated patterns.

The goal is steady progress that fits into a person’s real life.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Leslie lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Trauma and abuse
Self esteem
Depression
Coping with life changes
Relationship issues
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Compassion fatigue
Abandonment
Attachment issues
Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Body image
Caregiver issues and stress
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Communication problems
Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
Family of origin issues
Family problems
First responder issues
Forgiveness
Guilt and shame
Life purpose
Midlife crisis
Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Money and financial issues
Mood disorders
Personality disorders
Post-traumatic stress
Self-love
Social anxiety and phobia
Women's issues
Workplace issues

Online support

Approaches for online stress and trauma care

Leslie uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques focused on clear steps and understanding patterns. One approach emphasizes grounding and skills to reduce anxiety and manage triggering memories; it helps with panic, flashbacks, and overwhelming stress by teaching concrete calming tools. Another approach centers on improving self-worth and relational patterns through exploring past attachments and current behaviors; it helps people notice repeated dynamics and practice different responses.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the work. Leslie collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and comfort level. She checks in regularly and adapts techniques based on progress and feedback so the plan remains practical and relevant.

Online therapy offers flexibility and options that fit busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for deeper dialogue, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat is good for quick check-ins, and text-based messaging supports brief updates or ongoing reflection between sessions. These formats make it simpler to fit therapy into a work break, a quiet hour at home, or when travel makes in-person visits difficult.

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Questions people ask

What concerns does Leslie commonly address?

She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, career questions, bipolar concerns, and compassion fatigue.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is calm and practical. She listens without judgment and helps clients set short-term goals and try small changes between sessions.

What is her background and clinical experience?

Leslie has six years of professional work experience in counseling and mental health roles, working with a range of stress and trauma-related issues.

What credentials and location does she hold?

She holds a Licensed Professional Counselor credential in Missouri and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential in Illinois, and she practices from Missouri.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with her?

International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

She sees clients through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.

How are fees and getting started handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

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