Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leslie Lind-Hernaiz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Leslie , thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

In 2015, my daughter Zahira unexpectedly passed away at 4 days old after a full term, normal, and amazing pregnancy due to Meconium Aspiration. My world view shifted and so did the focus of my work. hence the start of Zahira (Rising with Zahira). Losing Zahira was soul crushing. All I knew ceased to exist when I lost her and if that was not enough in December, 2021 my husband Felix passed away suddenly, abruptly, and unexpectedly. Both are losses that are indescribable and life shattering. It was in the pain of losing Zahira that I was able to tap into something beautiful and transform it into something divine that I bring to my therapy and coaching practice. In my therapy practice I focus on helping women identify core beliefs that influence their current life and ways to reframe those beliefs to obtain the goals they set forth in therapy. In my coaching practice I fill in the missing links that therapy does not allow me to fill.

I continue to actively grieve losing Felix but the groundwork was already set in motion with the healing work I had done with Zahira. So I come to this season of my life a little more versed in grief but never in pain. That is something that is unique to every loss and from these loses I am able to connect with the pain of my clients. My defining moment was losing Zahira and choosing to transform my pain into purpose.

Leslie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For the last 20 years my work had been centered around therapy and the treatment of the severely and persistently mentally ill in community based agencies and community hospitals. However, in 2015, when my daughter Zahira unexpectedly passed away, my world view shifted and so did the focus of my work. After my own grief work and deep healing I decided to funnel my life experience and expertise in mental health into starting my own private practice focused on working with women going through their own grief and transition. In the winter of 2020 with the unexpected passing of my husband I knew I had to make some hard and fast decisions about how I wanted to live my life moving forward, so in the summer of 2022 I left my employer after 14 years to go into full time private practice, my business, Zahira (Rising with Zahira) was born. My purpose is to provide women with a safe place to just be. Bring your baggage, bring your pain its all welcomed here. In working with me we identify what is not working for you, we process it, and we decide what to do with it so it no longer gets in your way. I’m most proud of preserving through so much trauma, transforming my pain and loss into power, beauty, and purpose. So when people ask me what do I bring to my work with my clients I say, my heart, my intuition, my expertise, but most of all my story of healing and perseverance.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Be authentic! That’s what gets you, your ideal clients. Set clear boundaries and hard stops for yourself in your business practices.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My ability to meet clients where they are, my ability to sit in their pain in a non-judgmental way, yet hold clients accountable in a gentle but firm way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.risingwithzahira.com
• Instagram: risingwithzahira
• Facebook: risingwithzahira
• Other: Also listed in: Therapy for Black Girls Psychology Today Headway

Image Credits
www.iamLeslieGomez.com I have the rights to all photos.