About Jonathan
I finished up undergrad at Princeton with a concentration in international relations, minors in Russian and linguistics, and absolutely no idea what to do next.
I eventually fell into a job as a residential counselor at an emergency youth shelter in my hometown of Tulsa, OK, instantly fell in love with the work, and gradually fell into a career in mental health focused on children, adolescents, and families. I moved to New York City for grad school at Columbia, and in hindsight it’s hard for me to imagine having made any other choice.
I’ve now been a therapist in New York for 12 years and counting, logging many thousands of hours of practice while serving clients in a variety of contexts and capacities:
In-home family preventive services throughout low-income neighborhoods across Manhattan and Brooklyn
Family and couple therapy at a prestigious training clinic
In-home and virtual family and individual therapy with a boutique group practice
And, eventually, my own private practice
I’ve also kept busy teaching master’s-level courses and supervising clinicians in training, alongside various other professional activities.
A little more about me:
A little more about me:
I live with my wife on the Upper West Side, where my office is also located. It might seem like I’m always working, but I’m not! I spend as much time as possible outside—running, biking, hiking, camping, occasionally scuba diving. I read widely, mostly literary fiction, and am not averse to providing book recommendations upon request. Some other things I know a little and/or care a lot about: ’90s music (+ disco and funk), astronomy and astrophysics, juggling and magic and all manner of circus arts, hockey and baseball, travel, politics, religion, science, and social justice.
My Approach:
Like many therapists, I use a variety of therapeutic approaches in my work and am always continuing my training. (For example, I’m currently enrolled in an intensive program in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills for adolescents and families.)
When working with individuals, I draw primarily on techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), narrative therapy, and motivational interviewing (MI), with mindfulness interventions sometimes integrated where appropriate.
Much of my formal training is in couple and family therapy modalities that emphasize systemic work, including multisystemic therapy (MST), brief strategic family therapy (BSFT), and the Ackerman Relational Approach (ARA).
Two common therapy pitfalls that you won’t catch me falling into:
I don’t just play Uno or chit-chat with clients for 50 minutes about how their week went. Therapy is a space for forward movement and upward growth—a space for identifying and addressing issues, learning new skills and ways of relating, and working towards concrete, specific goals. It shouldn’t feel boring or rote, but it also can’t always be pleasant and comfortable.
I don’t rely on methods that aren’t evidence-based. Clients are entitled to therapy that works, and there are a surprising number of unproven or downright pseudoscientific treatments out there. Not in here!
Credentials
Jonathan Leitch, PhD, LCSW
Education:
- BA in Politics (with honors) from Princeton University, 2009
- MS in Social Work from Columbia University, 2013
- PhD in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University New England, 2023
Training:
- Completed the Core Curriculum (4+ years of training) at the Ackerman Institute for the Family, 2019
- AAMFT Approved Supervisor
License:
- LCSW #089697 (New York)
What have I been reading in 2025?
A Sampling:
Reach Out:
The best way to determine whether we're a good fit is to get the conversation going.
Get in touch below to schedule a complimentary consultation call via phone or Zoom. Even if I don’t have any availability (or we’re not a match after all), I’m often able to provide referrals to other trusted colleagues within my professional network.