Professional Experience

Leilani has close to a decade of experience across clinical, research, and teaching settings. She works with individuals across the lifespan (from toddlers to older adults), as well as couples and families. She assesses and treats a wide range of mental health conditions including ASD, ADHD, complex trauma, relationship issues, family issues, pregnancy-related issues, work-related issues, health concerns, LGBTQ+ issues, and more.

Leilani has special interests in neurodivergence, performance and coaching, depression and anxiety, personality disorders, grief and loss, and life transitions. With lived experience of chronic pain and loss, she also brings particular passion and understanding to these areas. Through navigating her personal challenges, she has cultivated resilience, empathy, and a genuine commitment to fostering growth and wellbeing. These qualities enhance her ability to relate to clients, build authentic connections, and inspire them to overcome their challenges.

Leilani has extensive experience working across public and private sectors in Australia and Sri Lanka. This versatility enables her to deliver empirically-validated, person-centred psychological interventions that effectively address diverse needs. She values fostering trust, resilience, growth, and well-being through a strong therapeutic alliance. She sees the therapeutic relationship as the most defining factor for successful treatment, supported by regular clinical supervision and ongoing professional development.

In her sessions, therapy is conducted at a pace that feels comfortable for each client. Having been in both the client’s and the therapist’s chair, she brings warmth, sensitivity, and empathy to her practice. She creates an inclusive, compassionate, and growth-oriented space where clients feel deeply seen, understood, and supported. She hopes to empower individuals to reconnect to their authentic selves and cultivate resilience, enabling them to thrive in their lives.

Leilani walks alongside her clients with warmth, respect, and curiosity – integrating the core tenets of CBT, DBT, ACT, IFS, and attachment-based perspectives, along with somatic and holistic healing practices. Her goal is to not only relieve symptoms, but to deepen self-awareness, relationships, and connection, and align with a fulfilling life true to each client’s value systems.

What fuels her each day is witnessing the positive transformations which begin in the room and extend into her clients’ lives. Leilani considers it a privilege to support meaningful growth and empowerment.

She shares one of her favourite quotes by Kahlil Gibran, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

Outside of work, Leilani enjoys cooking, walking in nature, working out, and practising mindfulness. She also likes reading, with particular interests in history and astronomy. As an Ayurvedic lifestyle practitioner, she creates holistic remedies and dabbles in Vedic astrology for fun. She also loves animals, with a special affinity towards dogs and cats — her favourite animal is the little blue penguin in Phillip Island.