Today we’d like to introduce you to Lea-Maude Roy.
Hi Lea-Maude, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am originally from Montreal, Canada, though I spent most of my childhood living abroad in a uniquely multicultural environment. I grew up in a place where people from all over the world lived side by side, and where diversity was not something discussed in theory but experienced daily in society – in friendships, classrooms, and communities. My closest friends came from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and this shaped the way I see people and the world. This experience instilled in me a deep curiosity, openness, and genuine appreciation for difference. During those years, I learned French, English, Arabic, and Spanish, which helped me connect with others in a more authentic and meaningful way. My upbringing was influential in shaping my worldview and became the foundation for the cultural awareness, sensitivity, and respect for diversity that I now bring into my work as a therapist. From a very young age, I was drawn to people’s stories and the ways our environments shape who we become. I took my first psychology classes in high school and immediately fell in love with the subject.
I went on to pursue my undergraduate degree in psychology, where I graduated summa cum laude with honors. I completed an honors thesis focusing on the effects of positive psychology on mental health and spent much of my academic training gaining hands-on experience. I worked as a research assistant providing art-therapy-based interventions to children ages 5-12 with learning disabilities and anxiety disorders. I also volunteered as a crisis responder for Kids Help Phone, where I underwent intensive training in crisis intervention and de-escalation and provided support to youth ages 5-25 in moments of distress. In addition to my work with youth, I worked as a support care worker in a senior living home, offering emotional support to elderly residents and their families. I helped organize and facilitate activities, companionship, and end-of-life support; an experience that strengthened my ability to connect across generations and meet people with warmth, patience, and presence.
After graduating, I moved to Los Angeles in 2023 to pursue a Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Pepperdine University. During my graduate training, I completed my clinical practicum at St. John Bosco Highschool, an all-boys high school in Los Angeles, where I worked with adolescents navigating a wide range of challenges including anxiety, depression, trauma, academic pressure, racial discrimination, identity concerns, family conflict, and complex relational dynamics. Working with these young men deepened my commitment to mental health in a way I hadn’t expected. I saw how many of them were carrying heavy emotional experiences silently; either because they weren’t encouraged to talk about their feelings, or because they didn’t feel safe doing so. I also witnessed the influence of systemic and cultural factors on mental health and on access to care. Coming from a multicultural environment where differences were embraced as a natural and celebrated part of life, it was striking to encounter the level of inequity and social division that exists in some settings in the United States. I moved here during a time marked by global conflict and national polarization, and I saw how often interactions and institutions operated within an us versus them dynamic. This was something I had never experienced to such an extent before, and it pushed me to think critically about fairness, empathy, and the environments young people are trying to grow up in.
Across all my experiences; research, crisis work, senior care, international living, and my clinical training, I’ve become especially passionate about supporting those who often fall through the cracks: individuals who don’t have a voice, who go unseen, who suffer in silence, or who’ve been taught not to take up space. That includes boys and men who’ve been discouraged from expressing emotion, individuals navigating cultural or systemic barriers, racial and ethnic minorities who face discrimination, immigrants adjusting to new environments, and anyone who has ever felt overlooked, misunderstood, or dismissed.
A core value that guides my work is fairness and respect, even in a world that is often deeply unfair. I know I cannot change every system, though I like to believe that I can try to change the experience of the person who is sitting in front of me or even the person I pass on the street. Sometimes a smile or acknowledgment is enough to make someone feel seen. That is what I hope to contribute, both professionally and personally. I strive to create spaces for people to feel safe, heard, understood, and worthy. If I can help even one person who might otherwise have gone unnoticed, that is meaningful to me.
My goals as a clinician are simple:
to make room for people who haven’t been given room,
to hold space for those who’ve never had it,
and to help individuals reclaim and love the parts of themselves that the world and society has taught them to hide.
My multicultural upbringing, academic background, clinical experiences, and personal values all continue to inform the therapist and person I strive to be. Above all, I want to create spaces where people feel respected and supported, and where every individual has the chance to be seen for who they truly are.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges was moving to a new country, in a place I had never visited, alone, with no family nearby, while completing demanding clinical training. Adjusting to a different culture, building a support system from the ground up, and balancing graduate school with practicum work all required resilience, adaptability, and learning to take care of oneself. I also worked in environments where many people faced significant adversity, which exposed me to difficult systemic and social realities. I noticed these patterns not only in the settings where I worked but in society more broadly. At times, it was disheartening to see how deeply entrenched certain beliefs and inequalities were, and I often felt powerless trying to change systems that have been in place for generations. Although these moments were challenging and at times discouraging, they ultimately strengthened my commitment to this work and shaped the kind of therapist I aim to be.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Therapy with Gayane, offering sessions in person in Sherman Oaks and online across California under the supervision of Gayane Aramyan. In my practice, I work with individuals and couples who are struggling with anxiety, communication difficulties, relationship stress, life transitions, cultural adjustment, identity concerns, low self-esteem, and feeling overwhelmed by the expectations placed on them. I support clients in understanding their patterns, strengthening emotional awareness, and building healthier ways of relating both to themselves and to the people in their lives. My approach is person-centered and culturally attuned, and I draw from modalities such as DBT, ACT, and IFS-informed work.
One thing I am consistently told, both professionally and personally, is that I am “easy to talk to”. People often share that they feel comfortable and understood with me, and that they can open up to me in ways they do not usually experience or have never experienced before. I am proud of this because it reflects something I value deeply. I have always been able to connect naturally with people from all walks of life, and I believe that my ability to make others feel seen without judgment is what allows them to speak freely and trust that I will support them with care.
What sets me apart is the combination of my multicultural upbringing, my natural openness, and my commitment to fairness and respect of all people. Growing up in a diverse international environment taught me to approach every person and every story with curiosity rather than assumptions. That early foundation, paired with my clinical training, has shaped the way I understand people and the systems they move through. It allows me to support clients who may feel misunderstood, marginalized, or overlooked.
I am most proud of the space I create for people to show up as they are. My goal is to help them feel safe, valued, and worthy. If I can offer that to even one person who might otherwise have gone unnoticed, that is meaningful to me.
How do you think about luck?
I believe everything happens for a reason, and I also feel incredibly lucky in many aspects of my life. I have had opportunities, experiences, and support systems that many people do not have, and I am very aware of that privilege. My hope is to use that luck in a meaningful way by supporting people who have not had the same opportunities or who feel overlooked or unheard. Both the fortunate moments and the challenging ones have shaped my path, and they motivate me to give back through the work I do every day.
Pricing:
- $150 for Individual Therapy
- $170 for Couples Therapy
- FREE 15-Minute Consultation
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.therapywithgayane.com/meet-lea
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soleia.therapy/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leamauderoy/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lea-maude-roy-sherman-oaks-ca/1624695
