SUPPORT FOR YOU

Leah Marks, M.A, RCC, ACC

My practice is grounded in three ideas: Calm. Clarity. Capacity.

Calm creates enough space to think differently.

Clarity comes from understanding yourself—not only your symptoms, but the patterns, strengths, and experiences that shape how you respond to life.

Capacity grows as you develop new ways of relating to yourself, to others, and to the challenges you face. It is what cultivates resilience, initiates intentional action, and allows meaningful change to last.

That philosophy guides every conversation, whether working through anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, ADHD, autism, relationship challenges, leadership, or life and career transitions.

How I Work

I bring together psychotherapy and coaching in a way that is collaborative, practical, and grounded in evidence.

Some sessions involve making sense of longstanding patterns. Others focus on navigating a difficult conversation, an important decision, or a season of change. Most involve both.

Rather than offering advice or quick solutions, I think alongside my clients—asking questions, sharing observations, and drawing on research and clinical experience to support thoughtful action. The goal isn't simply to feel better. It's to understand yourself more fully and strengthen your capacity to navigate whatever comes next.

Experience

Over the past 25 years I've worked in mental health and higher education settings, leadership development, executive coaching, and career development. This experience continues to shape my integrated approach that recognizes how closely our wellbeing, relationships, identity, and work are connected.

I hold a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University. My practice continues to evolve through ongoing professional development and a commitment to evidence-based care.

Areas of Practice

Many clients come to therapy because several challenges are occurring at once rather than in isolation. My practice commonly includes work related to:

• Anxiety, stress, burnout, and perfectionism

• ADHD and autism (diagnosed, self-identified, or exploring)

• Life, career, and leadership transitions

• Relationships and communication

• Confidence, identity, and decision-making

• Executive functioning, motivation, and behaviour change

Rather than focusing only on symptom reduction, our work aims to build greater self-understanding, emotional flexibility, healthier ways of thinking, stronger relationships, and practical strategies that support lasting change and intentional action.

Why mountains and backpackers?

Many of the images on this site are of mountains and people hiking on them. In case you wonder why, here is an explanation: Hiking up big mountains has been a long-standing interest of mine and I’ve noticed that it is after a difficult ascent that I feel the most calm, clear, and capable. This is especially true for those I wasn’t sure I could handle. This process of working hard through uncertainty, having a sense of direction, a place to get to, and then taking some time at the top to reflect, celebrate, and rest before continuing on mirrors the kind of process many of us go through when dealing with a new or ongoing challenge and when navigating a career or life transition. Mountains (and getting to the top of them) have become a symbol for me of a challenge to accept and overcome and an opportunity for a 360 view and feeling of joy and optimism at the top.