Even at a young age, Dr. Michelle Jaques-Leonard enjoyed getting involved and using her skills to assist others. “From babysitting to camp counseling, to coaching sports in my youth, I have always enjoyed working with children and their families,” she explains. “This passion has only gotten stronger throughout my clinical training and personal life as a mother.”

Dr. Jaques-Leonard became a clinical psychologist in order to help people deal with their mental health challenges. “Mental health is such an important part of overall health and well-being that I wanted to learn and explore ways to help other people move beyond a diagnosis or stressful life experience and set the trajectory for their future successes,” she explains.

Dr. Jaques-Leonard enjoys meeting new people and helping empower others to make changes in their lives. At Reliant, she works closely with children, adolescents, and their families to help address mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, disruptive behaviors, trauma and adjustment to stress, eating and sleep difficulties, as well as parenting challenges. “I utilize both cognitive-behavioral as well as acceptance and commitment therapy techniques to give others tools to make changes in their lives,” she explains. “In treatment, I work with individuals to better understand the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and set meaningful goals that align with their values. I am open and sensitive to the individuality of everyone I work with and believe in flexibility in finding the right ‘fit’ for treatment.”

When she is not busy with patients Dr. Jaques-Leonard enjoys spending time with her husband and her son enjoying activities such as hiking, biking, swimming, playing games, and walking the family dog. She also enjoys dancing, playing volleyball, crocheting, and singing.

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