Lesley Guareña

MA
Counseling Extern
headshot of a person
Pronouns:
she/her/ella

CAPS providers support any student with any concern. Our providers also complete continuing education and specialized trainings. Learn more about this provider below.

Demographics

  • Cis Woman
  • Straight/Heterosexual
  • BIPOC
  • First or Second Generation Immigrant
  • Hispanic or Latinx

Education and License

Lesley completed her undergraduate studies at UC San Diego in psychology and education studies in 2019. Upon graduation, she worked on health disparities research with Spanish-speaking communities in San Diego, CA. She joined the UA in 2022 and completed an M.A. in psychology. She is currently in her 4th year of the clinical psychology PhD program at UA studying the connections between stress and cognition.

Specialty Populations

  • BIPOC
  • First Generation Students
  • Graduate/Professional Students
  • Immigrant

Specialty Areas

  • Academic Concerns
  • Anxiety
  • Coping Skills
  • Cultural Identity
  • Depression
  • Family Conflict/Family of Origin
  • Life Transitions
  • Peer Relationships
  • Performance and Test Anxiety
  • Racial Identity
  • Racial Trauma
  • Relationship Issues
  • Self-Esteem
  • Social Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Women's Issues

Treatment Approach

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Compassion-Based
  • Interpersonal
  • Mindfulness
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Multicultural
  • Relational-Cultural Therapy
  • Relational
  • Solution-Focused
  • Strength-Based

Professional Interests

Lesley provides evidence-based care for students navigating the challenges of college. She focus on supporting individuals as they navigate complex personal identities in the demanding environment of college life. Her goal is to provide a space where the individual can feel supported and have agency in the therapeutic relationship. Her approach is flexible, combining self-compassion, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, solution-focused strategies, acceptance and commitment therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Personal Interests

In her spare time, Lesley enjoys listening to new music, spending time with her chiweenie Vanilla, making a good cup of coffee, and spending time with friends and family.