Dr. Leach completed her B.A. in Cognitive Psychology with a minor in Criminology and Law at University of California Irvine.  She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Rosemead School of Professional Psychology in La Mirada, California, which is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).  Early in her career, she began developing a specialty in clinical and forensic psychology.  Dr. Leach administered treatment and psychological assessments to individuals with severe mental illness and/or behavioral disorders at Los Angeles County Century Regional Detention Facility and Patton State Hospital.  She also worked in a private practice conducting court-ordered and attorney-referred evaluations involving competency to stand trial (juvenile & adult), sanity, mentally disordered offender, juvenile and adult sex offender evaluations, termination of parental rights, and various sentencing issues. 

 

The complexity and severity of working with individuals in the legal system transitioned nicely to working with individuals with similar issues voluntarily seeking treatment.  Dr. Leach completed an APA accredited internship at the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital in Long Beach, California, where she worked with individuals with Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, combat and sexual trauma, and substance abuse.  Dr. Leach then completed her postdoctoral fellowship at St. Jude Medical Center and Fullerton Neuropsychological Services in Fullerton, California.  As a postdoctoral fellow, she provided acute neurorehabilitation services in CARF accredited Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, and Stroke Specialty inpatient programs as well as the Cognitive Recovery Center and Center for Rehabilitation and Wellness outpatient programs.  Concurrent with her academic and clinical training, Dr. Leach worked with Dr. Mary Rotzien for 8 years providing ADHD coaching and outpatient psychotherapy and psychological assessments to children, adolescents, adults, and families as well as Cogmed Working Memory Training.

 

Presently, Dr. Leach works mostly in her private practice providing psychotherapy and psychological assessment services to children, adolescents, adults, older adults, couples, and families.  She also conducts forensic psychological evaluations of patients residing in California state hospitals for readiness to discharge to Gateways Hospital Conditional Release Program (CONREP).   She serves in a consultative role with some local private schools and non-profit organizations.  Professionally, Dr. Leach is a member of the American Psychological Association, California Psychological Association, San Gabriel Valley Psychological Associations, and EMDR International Association.  Dr. Leach is certified by the EMDR International Association as an EMDR therapist.