Leiya

It's that time of the year 📚✏️ The new school year is here again which means so is that back-to-school anxiety. The start of school can be a stressful time for the whole family as everyone adjusts to new expectations and routines. Our clinical team shared their top tips for how ease the transition back to school and set the foundation for a less stressful school year.

Link in comment to explore our groups.

hashtag hashtag
hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag
hashtag hashtag
hashtag hashtag
hashtag

Join our team for Oakland's One Million Steps for OCD Walk this weekend! This is an incredible opportunity to connect with others, raise awareness, and support those impacted by OCD.

📅 Date: Saturday, July 13, 2024
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM
📍 Location: Lake Merritt Amphitheater, Oakland, CA

Every step we take helps raise funds and awareness for OCD. Whether you choose to donate or simply join us for the walk, your support makes a huge difference. Donate or fundraise $25 or more to receive a commemorative t-shirt! 👕 Bring the family. Kids under 13 get a free t-shirt.

Register as an Individual or Join a Team: https://support.iocdf.org/team/592912
Create a Fundraising Page: Share with family and friends to support our cause.
Spread the Word: Encourage others to join and make a difference!

We look forward to seeing you there!

❤️

support.iocdf.org

One of the things that makes Leiya unique is how we provide resources and support for parents whose children are in our care. Our Parenting Specialist, Karis Wallace, plays a huge part of providing that support. In addition to working with parents one-one-one, she is also one of the three clinicians who leads our ADHD Parent Training group.



https://leiya.com/adhdparentsgroup/

You're invited to Leiya Berkeley for our first ever Open House.

Come celebrate Mental Heath Awareness Month with us! See our brand new space, meet the team, and learn more about our innovative approach to pediatric mental health care and all that Leiya offers for families.

🔸 Where: 2999 Regent St, Berkeley, CA
🔸 When: May 31st, 4:30-6:30pm
🔸 RSVP via the link below

We'll have a movie and crafts set-up for kids, or they can plan in our sensory gym!

We hope to see you there! 💜

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/leiya-open-house-tickets-906268171497

May is , which is a perfect time to share some of the beliefs we hold close at Leiya:

🌱 All children deserve a chance to thrive.
🌞 Mental health care is a proactive investment in a child’s future and in a healthier, happier world for all.

Our founders, Dr. Stephanie Uhl and Dr. Meghan Luby, met in grad school for Clinical Psychology and went into private practice together after graduating and working in a variety of settings. So they know well the importance of early intervention – the longer it takes for kids to access the mental health care they need, the harder it is for them to make meaningful progress and reach the best possible treatment outcomes. Meghan and Stephanie also saw firsthand how families struggled to get off waitlists and into the high-quality, multidisciplinary care they needed.

Leiya was born from their belief that there is a better way for families to get the mental health care they need, when they need it, and that the future depends on it.
Follow along as we post more about and how Leiya is .

When designing our Downtime Lounge, we wanted to offer families more than a traditional waiting room. We created a beautiful light-filled space that is pleasant for the whole family to spend time in before or during appointments. Our wrap-around banquette offers plenty of seating and table space for those who want to catch up on emails or homework, color, or play with the blocks and games we've sprinkled around the room.

We also offer private Parent Pods for times when a parent or caretaker might need privacy to take a phone call, hop into a meeting, or just enjoy a moment of peace and quiet. We added this Parent Pod feature because we've heard from so many people over the years how difficult it is to balance work with managing their child's care.

The research tells the same story. Seventy-four percent of parents have had to take some time off of work to support their child's mental health or academic wellness. This number jumps to 83% for parents of neurodiverse children. Missing work can add stress to an already stressful situation. At Leiya, we believe mental health care providers can – and should – do better for families. Parents and children deserve to be able to prioritize their wellbeing without falling behind at work or risking their job. We know this issue is complicated, but we hope we can be part of the solution and ease stress on our families by providing a comfortable place for all to work and play.

📑 Source: In June 2023, RethinkFirst carried out a study titled 'Mental Health in the Classroom: Assessing Effects on Children, Teachers, and Working Parents'. They surveyed 2,000 parents nationwide, including 1,000 parenting answering questions about their neurotypical child and 1,000 focused on their neurodiverse child.

In a recent article for Bloomberg.com, writer Alexandra Lange explores a "sea change" happening in pediatric mental health towards beautiful, community-oriented spaces that consider whole families during treatment. This movement, according to Lange, is based on the principles that:

"Mental health care should not be secret...better care is found in community, and children deserve the best design... The best version of [mental health] care engages with both the natural and the social world, with abundant sunlight, without stigma, and with family."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves and we're thrilled to be on the forefront of this movement! Creating a bright, beautiful space that is comfortable for the whole family has been central to Leiya's mission from the very beginning.

Leiya Berkeley is now fully open and it has been amazing to watch the faces of new families light up when they walk in and see our space for the first time. This snapshot shows what families see when they come through our doors. Over the next few weeks we'll highlight different parts of our space and share how they were designed with families in mind.

Follow along to see inside Leiya Berkeley and learn more about how thoughtful design makes mental health care better 💫

Link to the full article in the comments!

In a recent New York Times article, Sarah Mervosh and Francesca Paris highlight a concerning trend: school absences are growing at an alarming rate. 26 percent of public school students are "chronically absent," which means they've missed at least 10 percent of the school year or around 18 days. Before COVID, only 15 percent of students were considered chronically absent. This is a huge increase in just a few years!

There are likely a few reasons for this shift, but one big contributor is the rising rates of anxiety and school avoidance among youth. School avoidance can set kids back with their learning, development, social life and mental health, and it also puts tremendous pressure on families. Parents whose children avoid or refuse to go to school often feel helpless, guilty and stressed about missing work or other disruptions to their daily life.

At Leiya, we work with the whole family to get to the root of the issues underlying school avoidance and learn strategies for addressing anxiety so that kids not only attend school, but thrive when they're there.

Is your family struggling with school avoidance or anxiety? Reach out to connect with our clinical team to find out more about how we can help.

Link in the comments to read the full NYTimes article or to connect with the Leiya team!

Introducing Our Lead Clinician, Dr. Andrea Pascarelli! Dr. Pascarelli specializes in working with children with a variety of conditions including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, selective mutism, OCD, depression and more.

She has extensive experience in evidenced-based treatment including cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), trauma-focused CBT, parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), and parent-child interaction therapy-selective mutism (PCIT-SM).

We asked Dr. Pascarelli a few questions. Here's what she said.

Q: When did your interest in pediatric mental health begin?

A: I had the opportunity to volunteer at a residential treatment facility for adjudicated adolescents. I knew then that I wanted to help children and teens with major mental health conditions. My work and passion in this area has only grown over the years. It is a privilege working with young people and being a part of their mental health wellness.

Q: What excites your most about working at Leiya?

A: I am so excited about Leiya’s mission, to change the mental health care arena and access for children and their families. I feel so fortunate to be a part of an energetic, dynamic multidisciplinary team that is dedicated to provide high-quality care to the community.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

A: In my free time I love spending time with my family, going for long walks and hikes with my dog and kids, traveling and spending time with friends and family, near and far.

One of the elements that sets Leiya apart from other mental health providers is that each Leiya family receives a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation delivered by a highly-experienced neuropsychologist and reviewed by a team of specialists with different areas of expertise. This enables our team to create personalized care pathways designed for each individual child and family, so that families can be confident that they are getting the most efficient and effective treatment for their specific needs.

Dr. Alex Peterson is our first in-house neuropsychologist, and he brings a wealth of experience and training to the role. We are thrilled to have him on the Leiya team!

You may have seen the headlines – America is experiencing a youth mental health crisis. But what does that really mean?

Over the past decade we’ve seen dramatic increases in mental health issues among children and adolescents and the U.S. has a shortage of professionals trained to treat these issues effectively. As a result, parents and other caregivers are struggling to find, schedule and manage the type of high-quality care that kids desperately need.

Here are some of the numbers:
• Rates of anxiety and depression in youth have almost doubled since 2007.
• 49.5% of adolescents have or have had some type of a mental health disorder.
• 1 in 5 high-schoolers have “seriously considered” su***de.
• There was a 124% increase in the number of in-patient mental health hospital admissions for youth between 2016 and 2022.
• By 2025 the U.S. will have 10,000 fewer mental health professionals than needed.
• 74% of parents have had to take time off work to support their children’s mental health or academic wellness.
• 32% of parents have had to take 4 or more days off.

We’ll dig into each of these stats (and share a few more) over the coming weeks, so follow along to learn more about the youth mental health crisis and ways we can help families lead healthier, happier lives.

We’re thrilled to introduce our President, Dr. Jennifer Dovichi. Jennifer has become an invaluable member of our team since she joined us last year. Dr. Dovichi has been a pediatrician for over 20 years, with a special interest in developmental pediatrics, school advocacy and all things mental health. She attended USC Keck School of Medicine, was Chief Resident at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

We sat down and asked Jennifer a few questions.

Q: When did you first become interested in pediatric mental health care?

A: I became interested in pediatric mental health when I realized it was the underpinning of most of my pediatric clinic visits. I realized that I could address many health issues but the mental health challenges often required resources and solutions that we didn't have. I joined Leiya to set out to fix that and create the clinic that pediatric patients and their families need.

Q: What most excites you about working at Leiya?

A: I’m most excited about working with such a skilled, motivated team that is also dedicated to finding new solutions to the mental health crisis that we’re facing in the U.S. I’m also excited about how Leiya has created new connections for me and others in our community already.

Q: What do you do when you’re not working?

A: I love spending time outdoors in California. Walking, running, tossing the ball for my dog– doesn't matter! I also love gardening, taking care of my houseplants and my home, and spending time with friends and family. I’m fortunate to have most of my extended family right here in the Bay Area.

Happy New Year from Leiya 🎉 We’re kicking off 2024 with a BIG milestone. After months of planning and construction, our Berkeley space is ready to go! Our team is starting to work from our new space now, and we’ll be welcoming families in for care over the next few weeks. Check back for a sneak peek of Leiya Berkeley soon!

2023 was a transformative year for us, as Leiya went from an idea to a reality. We refined our care model, found and revamped our first space, crafted a custom online portal, and welcomed the inaugural members of our team. It has been amazing to watch a vision come to life, and we’re so grateful for all the people who helped to make it happen over the last 12 months 🧡

2024 is going to be an important year for Leiya too. Not only are we opening our doors to families in the Bay Area, we’re also gearing up for the next Leiya location. (Stay tuned!). We are beyond excited for everything 2024 has in store, and we're wishing you a new year filled with good health and exciting opportunities ✨

The name Leiya (pronounced “lay-uh”) stems from "Layia," a beach daisy whose bright white and yellow flowers bloom along the California coast. Layia flowers are hardy wildflowers that thrive in sandy soil with bright sunshine and just a little water.

At Leiya, we believe that all people are capable of tremendous growth, but that people, like plants, grow best in different conditions and environments. Our team of clinicians works closely with families to discover and cultivate the unique conditions that will help their family thrive. Our thorough evaluations, collaborative approach, and customized technology make it possible for us to design personalized care pathways that help the whole family flourish.

Visit our website (www.leiya.com) to learn more about our mission or set up a call with one of our clinicians.

Like all great innovations, Leiya started with a problem. After finishing their doctorates in Child Psychology and working in a variety of settings, our founders, Dr. Stephanie Uhl & Dr. Meghan Luby, teamed up to start a thriving private practice. Within a year, they could barely keep up with the demand for new patients. They were witnessing firsthand how families struggle to find providers with space, shoulder the burden of relaying information between specialists, and sacrifice to fit sessions into their busy lives.

As their waitlist grew, so did their frustrations. The longer children wait for care, the worse the outcomes. Meghan and Stephanie knew that there had to be a better way–and they knew that families didn’t have long to wait. They started brainstorming. Leiya is the groundbreaking solution that grew out of those first conversations.

Leiya provides a modern, efficient, and collaborative experience that goes way beyond what traditional clinics offer. Our team of experienced clinicians carefully considered every part of the Leiya’s process, care model, and space to ensure we provide high-quality care that fits into families’ lives.

We offer:
🔸 Comprehensive diagnostic evaluations delivered by a neuropsychologist and reviewed by a team of clinicians with different areas of expertise.
🔸 Collaborative care teams who create and deliver evidence-informed care pathways tailored to each family's needs.
🔸 Family Leads to coordinate care and support families every step of the way.
🔸 Groups, workshops, coaching, and community events for parents.
🔸 An online portal custom-made to make it easier to communicate and collaborate with your care team.
🔸 State-of-the-art sensory gyms designed to foster skill-building, growth, and confidence.
🔸 Modern therapy rooms that seamlessly integrate the latest technology for delivering evidence-informed interventions without sacrificing comfort.
🔸 A beautiful Downtime Lounge with plenty of space for families to play or relax between sessions, plus Privacy Pods for times when families need to focus.
🔸 A unique membership model that makes it easy for families to plan and pay for care, and enables our team to offer an unparalleled-level of care.

Follow us or visit the link in our bio to learn more about all of the ways Leiya is reimagining mental health care.

Introducing Leiya! ✨ We've reimagined pediatric mental health care and created a groundbreaking solution for families looking for efficient, effective care that fits their lives. Leiya was created by clinicians who understand the challenges families face and how to deliver first-rate care that keeps the whole family in mind. Every aspect of Leiya – from our groundbreaking care model to our comfortable Downtime Lounge and customized online portal – was designed to help busy families flourish.

Our Berkeley space is now taking new families, and our Los Angeles space is coming in 2024! Follow us for Leiya updates and visit our website to learn more or schedule a call with one of our clinicians.

Leiya. A Mental Health Clinic for Today’s Families. Leiya is a pediatric mental health care clinic designed by doctors to better serve the families we know and love.