About Leila Zwelling
LCSW, PMH-C
Hi, I’m Leila!
Before becoming a therapist, I worked as a journalist, drawn to the depth and complexity of people’s stories. Over time, I realized I wanted to do more than listen—I wanted to help people find healing, growth, and steadiness through life’s challenges.
That realization led me to the work I do now: supporting women through some of the most personal and often unspoken chapters of their lives.
As a licensed psychotherapist, clinical social worker, and certified perinatal mental health therapist with more than 20 years of experience, my practice focuses on women’s mental health during the reproductive years and beyond.
My work is shaped by my clinical training, my longtime meditation practice, and a commitment to helping people make meaning from painful or complex experiences. Clients often describe me as compassionate and calm, with a steady presence that supports healing and forward movement.
I understand how painful it can be when the path to parenthood doesn’t unfold as expected, and that even after detours and heartache, connection and joy are still possible.
pronounced “lee-la”
if you’d like to connect, I’d love to hear from you
My Approach
My work is grounded in attachment theory and guided by the belief that healing happens through connection. Drawing on advanced training in trauma and reproductive mental health, I integrate relational, depth-oriented, and evidence-based therapies, including:
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Mindfulness-Based Approaches
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
My practice serves women and gender-diverse clients navigating fertility and family-building challenges, as well as anxiety, mood concerns, trauma, and relationship issues throughout the lifespan. I welcome all identities, relationship structures, and paths both toward and away from parenthood.
Who I Work With
My Background
Licensure, Certification & Awards
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
California Board of Behavioral Sciences
Certified IPT Trainer & Supervisor
International Society for Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Certified Perinatal Mental Health Therapist
Postpartum Support International
Top Ten Faculty Educator
UCSF Psychiatry Residency Training Program
Excellence in Teaching Award
UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators
Professional Experience
Director
Women’s Mental Health Program, San Francisco Veterans Affairs (SFVA) Medical Center
National Trainer & Subject Matter Expert
IPT Training Program, Veterans Health Administration
Psychotherapist
PTSD Clinical Team, SFVA Medical Center
IPT Program, Veterans Health Administration
Women’s Mental Health Program, SFVA Medical Center
Infant-Parent Psychotherapy Program, UCSF
Women’s Wellness Psychiatry
PTSD Research Therapist
Prolonged Exposure therapist in Veterans Health Administration Study CSP 591: Comparative Effectiveness Research in Veterans with PTSD
Education & Academic Affiliations
Associate Clinical Professor
University of California, San Francisco
Social Work Master's Degree
San Francisco State University
Bachelor's Degree
University of Virginia
Professional Affiliations
logos link to affiliated organizations
Selected Publications
Croswell, K., Zwelling, L., Clougherty, K., Hinrichsen, G. (2018). VHA Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT-D) Interactive Training. Washington DC: US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Tong, H., Zwelling, L., Doughan, J. (2017). Interpersonal Psychotherapy in Practice: Working with Depressed Adults in L.E. Beutler, A.J. Consoli & B. Bongar (Eds), Comprehensive Textbook of Psychotherapy (2nd Ed), Oxford University Press.
Delany-Brumsey, A., Campbell, K., Ratner, J., Baughn, D., Zwelling, L., Hasser, C. (2013). Utilization of Integrated Behavioral Health Services at the San Francisco VA Medical Center Women's Clinic. Poster for VA Psychology Leadership Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Zwelling, L., Roney, S., Morguelan, A. (2004). Availability of Services for Families of LGBT Youth. San Francisco State University: Family Acceptance Project.
When the path to parenthood is uncertain, it can be isolating and overwhelming.
You don’t have to walk it alone.