Meet Leslie
Ladybug Body-Mind Healing
Leslie Gould-Barkman
MSW. CHT. CLC. LMT.
Spiritual Holistic Psychotherapist
Leslie may be best known in the Happy Valley from her former practice, “In Good Hands Therapeutic Massage”, which she owned and operated from 2002 to 2015. After a debilitating injury forced her to close her doors in 2015, Leslie returned to school and received her MSW in 2017. She then went on to become certified as a Spiritual Intuitive & Healer, a Certified Life Coach, and a Clinical Heart-Centered Hypnotherapist.
Working with Leslie is creative and solution focused as she listens deeply and intuitively to the verbal, physical, spoken and unspoken dimensions of her clients. This comprehensive approach allows for the resolution of long-standing problems by tapping into the full expression of who we are as a person – body, mind and spirit.
Leslie works with adults suffering from a wide range of issues and those who simply feel stuck and want more out of life. She brings hope and compassion and strives to help people come out of the shadows and stand confidently in their truth. Leslie is a healer and motivator whose insightful and caring manner help clients feel safe and supported while gaining the insight needed to improve their lives and create real and lasting change.
Bouncing Back from Adversity
Having faced many challenges in her life, Leslie is able to relate to clients' emotional and physical issues with compassion, empathy and understanding.
Leslie is also a cancer survivor. This experience in 2017, and her prior back injury gave Leslie personal experience with chronic pain, illness and the body-mind connection. Leslie believes strongly that adversity can be a catalyst for growth and transformation and she's living proof. Rather than taking her down, her bout with cancer helped Leslie to reassess her life. While recovering from surgery she made the choice to follow her heart and focus fully on building her body-mind healing practice.
Approach to Healing
One of my goals is to improve clients' mental and physical health by resolving trapped emotions before they create disease or illness. The latest research in the field of mind-body disorders is that to resolve them the underlying emotional dynamic must be addressed. These underlying issues can be found in the subconscious mind where unwanted and exiled emotions reside. They are also found as energy in the body. These trapped emotions can cause imbalances in the entire system and are a major factor in virtually all physical disorders.
While talk therapy alone can be helpful, it is not designed to get to the root of the issue or eliminate the reason for it. By listening to our bodies, and messages from our subconscious and soul we gain valuable information that can be used to make changes we never thought possible, clearing the way for a brighter future and a happier life.
Education and Credentials
Master of Social Work (MSW)
2017
Certified Spiritual Intuitive & Healer
2018
Clinical Hypnotherapist (CHT)
2018
Certified Life Coach
2021
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
Intermediate Level
Nationally Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT, NCBTMB)
Massachusetts
2002 to present
Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW)
Massachusetts
2018 to present
Energy Medicine Professional Association
Member since 2018
Leslie's Education and Training
Certified Life Coach Institute
Colorado Springs, CO
ICF Accredited
2021
Sanctuary Healing Center
Amherst, MA
Spiritual Intuitive and Healer Training Program
2017-2018
The Wellness Institute
New York, N.Y.
Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy Training Program
2018
Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute Professional Training
New York, N.Y
Intermediate Level as of 2019
Westfield State University
Westfield, MA
Master of Social Work
2017
Bancroft School of Massage Therapy
Worcester, MA
Massage Therapy Certificate
Licensed Massage Therapist since 2002
New York University
Tisch School of the Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Department of Drama
1986