About Leah

Leah Niehaus is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Owner/Clinical Director at The Wellness Collective, bringing over two decades of experience to her practice in Hermosa Beach. Since 2003, she has been dedicated to helping children, adolescents, young adults, and adults navigate life's challenges with clarity and authenticity.

Professional Background & Credentials

Leah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Pepperdine University and a Master's in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach. Her diverse clinical background includes community mental health, public child welfare with foster youth, and psychiatric social work at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital. She has been in private practice for 21 years and has successfully operated a group practice for 9 years, previously known as Leah M. Niehaus, LCSW & Associates, Inc.

As a CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor and Certified Group Psychotherapist, Leah was recently recognized by the City of Hermosa Beach as the "Best of Clinical Social Work 2023." She serves as an Ambassador for South Bay Families Connected and sits on the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Medical Advisory Board and a local Student Mental Health Task Force through Beach Cities Health District.

Leah maintains active memberships in numerous professional organizations including the California Society for Clinical Social Work, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, Clinical Social Work Association, American Group Psychotherapy Association, and Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles. She is also active in the AGPA Public Outreach committee to broaden knowledge of the benefits of group therapies.

Clinical Approach & Philosophy

Leah takes an eclectic approach to therapy, drawing from multiple therapeutic modalities including Psychodynamic therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), strengths-based perspective, and resilience-informed care. This diverse toolkit allows her to tailor treatment to each client's unique needs and circumstances.

As a Certified Group Psychotherapist, Leah is an expert in group therapies, a specialized skill that is rare among clinicians. Her extensive training and experience in group dynamics make her particularly effective at facilitating therapeutic groups, supervising clinicians running groups in her practice, and helping clients benefit from the powerful healing that occurs in group settings.

Leah's gift lies in identifying people's strengths and helping them recognize those strengths for themselves. Her background in social work brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to therapy that combines deep insight work with real-world solutions clients can implement in their everyday lives.

She particularly enjoys working with teenagers who are struggling, sensitive people who tend toward anxiety and overthinking, individuals processing trauma and loss, and mid-life adults contemplating parenting issues, family-of-origin dynamics, or navigating major life transitions. Nothing is off-limits in her practice, and she approaches each session without judgment, instead cultivating curiosity about the patterns that impact relationships and life experiences.

What sets Leah apart is her authentic presence; she brings the same genuine self to the therapy room that she does to her living room. As a fellow traveler on life's journey who has experienced many ups and downs herself, she creates a space where clients can explore whatever is causing them stress while developing the tools to live their most authentic lives.