Health at Every Size® Healthcare Provider Listing
Jessica Lief, LCSW
(she/her)
Psychotherapist/Consultant/Supervisor/Professor
San Francisco,
California,
United States
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Specialties & Areas of Focus:
- Eating disorders
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Self-Harm
- Substance Use
Modalities & Theoretical Lenses:
- Feminist/Womanist/Ecowomanist
- Social justice
Age Groups Served:
- Teens (13-18 years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
- Teens (13-18 years old)
- Adults (18 years old and up)
Additional Populations Served & Allied Groups:
- LGBTQIA+
- BIPOC
- Athletes
Languages Services Offered In:
- French
- Spanish
- French
- Spanish
My Philosophy of Care
Jessica C. Lief, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, body image, Borderline Personality Disorder, self-harm, and substance use. Jessica completed psychoanalytic training through the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology in the Eating Disorders, Compulsions, and Addictions (EDCAS) Program. She also completed the advanced clinical supervision training program through Smith College School for Social Work.
Her approach is primarily psychodynamic but combines aspects of self-psychology, feminist/womanist theories, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, mindful self-compassion, and mindfulness. She is particularly interested in the treatment of eating disorders as a social justice issue, as they relate to people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. She is also adept at treating individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Her grief and loss work is broad but focuses on motherless daughters, maternal grief and wounding, and emotional abandonment. Jessica also works with individuals who have experienced miscarriage, fertility-related issues, post-partum depression, anxiety, and psychosis, as well as post-partum PTSD. She also works with individuals undergoing IVF and who have struggled with women’s health issues, such as Endometriosis and PCOS, as well as individuals who are pregnant and struggling with an eating disorder.
Her approach is primarily psychodynamic but combines aspects of self-psychology, feminist/womanist theories, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Seeking Safety, mindful self-compassion, and mindfulness. She is particularly interested in the treatment of eating disorders as a social justice issue, as they relate to people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. She is also adept at treating individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder.
Her grief and loss work is broad but focuses on motherless daughters, maternal grief and wounding, and emotional abandonment. Jessica also works with individuals who have experienced miscarriage, fertility-related issues, post-partum depression, anxiety, and psychosis, as well as post-partum PTSD. She also works with individuals undergoing IVF and who have struggled with women’s health issues, such as Endometriosis and PCOS, as well as individuals who are pregnant and struggling with an eating disorder.
About Me & My Practice
Jessica’s favorite part of being a therapist is guiding each client in their transformation and witnessing each step as it is achieved. Jessica will work with the client to identify what is deeply meaningful and important in that person’s life. The client will develop concrete skills to get their needs met directly. Jessica will help the client to develop powerful, inner resources, including self-compassion, emotion regulation techniques, radical self-acceptance, and confidence. Jessica earned her undergraduate degree from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in literature, nonfiction writing, and French. She earned a master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice in Social Work from New York University. She also earned a Master of Studies in Law with a concentration in Health Law from UC Law San Francisco. Currently, she is enrolled in a doctorate in social work program through Simmons University.
As a faculty member at Smith School for Social Work and Sarah Lawrence College, I teach courses to undergraduates and master's level students on the importance of HAES® principles. We examine the racial origins of fat phobia, including the work of Sabrina Strings. We study how the BMI scale is rooted in white supremacy and anti-Blackness. As a clinician, I am committed to using HAES® in all areas of my work. I approach my work from an anti-diet lens. I also treat individuals who are from marginalized groups, using a social justice lens in all areas of my work.
As a faculty member at Smith School for Social Work and Sarah Lawrence College, I teach courses to undergraduates and master's level students on the importance of HAES® principles. We examine the racial origins of fat phobia, including the work of Sabrina Strings. We study how the BMI scale is rooted in white supremacy and anti-Blackness. As a clinician, I am committed to using HAES® in all areas of my work. I approach my work from an anti-diet lens. I also treat individuals who are from marginalized groups, using a social justice lens in all areas of my work.
Accessibility Considerations
I have studied the work of Sand Chang and provide gender affirming care in my psychotherapy. I work virtually, so my patients are able to see me where they feel most comfortable. I can provide professional interpretors, as well as interpretation for ASL.