Leila Zwelling
LCSW, PMH-C
I’m Leila Zwelling, a licensed psychotherapist with more than two decades of experience in women’s mental health, specializing in reproductive challenges and family-building transitions. My approach is warm, collaborative, and rooted in the belief that healing unfolds through relationship.
My work has been shaped by advanced psychotherapy training and years of experience within women’s mental health programs, including leadership at the San Francisco VA. I serve as clinical faculty at UCSF, where I teach psychotherapy to psychiatry residents, and have provided national training in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) through the Veterans Health Administration. My teaching was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award from the UCSF Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Educators.
Years of meditation practice, including extended periods of silence, also inform the grounded, reflective presence I offer in therapy. This practice supports my capacity to sit with complexity, with grief, uncertainty, and hope, without rushing toward resolution.
Together, these experiences support a steady presence that can hold the layered realities of reproductive transitions.
When the path to parenthood unfolds differently than expected, it can be deeply disorienting. Therapy offers a steady place to pause, grieve what has changed, and begin moving forward with clarity. Together, we create space to reflect on where you are and what may still be possible.
Who I Work With
My practice focuses on reproductive and perinatal mental health, including:
I also support women and gender-diverse individuals navigating anxiety, trauma, depression, and relationship patterns, particularly as they intersect with reproductive transitions.
I welcome individuals across identities, relationship structures, and family-building experiences — whether you are moving toward parenthood, redefining it, or living a life that looks different from what you once imagined.
Thinking About Reaching Out?
Start with a complimentary consultation
My Therapeutic Style
My work is informed by attachment theory and the understanding that healing unfolds through relationship. I offer a calm, attentive presence, making space for the complexity of what you are living through.
Drawing from advanced training and years of experience in women’s mental health, I integrate depth-oriented and evidence-based approaches that are thoughtfully tailored to you. My work is informed by psychodynamic therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, EMDR, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness-based practices, guided by your history, needs, and pace.
Therapy with me is collaborative and reflective, shaped by curiosity and compassion. My early work in journalism continues to influence the way I listen and stay close to your experience. I attend carefully to what is needed, whether that means making space for grief, exploring long-held patterns, or moving gently toward change.
Licensure & Certifications
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), California
Certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), Postpartum Support International
Certified Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Supervisor and Trainer, International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (ISIPT)
Education & Academic Appointments
Associate Clinical Professor in Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco
Master of Social Work (MSW), San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Arts (BA), University of Virginia
Professional Affiliations
When the path to parenthood unfolds differently than expected, it can feel deeply isolating