Guest Profile
Lesleigh Tolin
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from San Francisco State University. My Master’s degree is my greatest educational achievement. I went back to study for my Master’s in Counseling Psychology in my mid-40s. I just love psychology!
This was a four-year journey of dedication for a two-year Master’s course, because I was commuting from an hour away, paying for my books, my apartment, my coursework, and working three part-time jobs at the time to take care of all of my expenses.
After graduation, I was elated to have only one small loan to repay the state, because I had paid for all of it on my own. When I graduated Cum Laude, my late parents were alive and well to witness the special moment!
I am trained as a psychotherapist with 4500 hours of clinical work. However, I have chosen to work as an entrepreneur so that I may easily be of service to my clients across the nation. Eventually, I will work internationally, and so I chose my business name: Healing Hearts International!
During my 12 years of professional hospice work, I knew I had a gift for connection with grieving families.I have a wonderful mentor who introduced me to the Grief Recovery Method. When I became certified as a Grief Recovery Specialist, I knew that this process was so profound that I wanted to facilitate it in my private practice.
In 2019, I became certified as an Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist so that I am now qualified to teach my seven-week program online. It is both humbling and fulfilling to witness my clients’ transformations from a short-term program that has defined and empowered actionable steps.
Some clients want to know if this program has a scientific base – and it does! From the College of Public Health at Kent State University, the studies have been proven which illustrate that each individual who completes the Grief Recovery Method has changed in their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about grief.
In my lifetime, I have suffered an inordinate amount of personal losses and have chosen to turn my pain into purpose. Early in my life, I experienced emotional feelings of failure from being divorced and the need to let go of lost hopes, dreams, and expectations of that marriage for a lifetime.
Later in life, I am now married to a wonderful man, a former widower, and have experienced how loss and change can impact a loving family. I know firsthand the vulnerability of dating a widower, blending families, and creating a flourishing relationship.
I am a youthful senior who has passions for hot yoga, sushi, meditation, and spirituality.
