Each counselor at Leon Springs Counseling and Life Coaching has been carefully selected to be part of a collaborative team that upholds the highest standards in ethics, education and professionalism. Each has a minimum of ten years clinical experience and an impeccable reputation in the professional community. All therapists are either Licensed Professional Counselors or Licensed Clinical Social Workers. These licensures are the highest possible accreditation in the state of Texas for Master's level counselors, and distinguish counselors who have met predetermined standards in their training, assessment, experience and performance.

At Leon Springs Counseling & Life Coaching, we promote a client-centered, interactive environment. Our style involves the open exchange of information and instruction. We provide guidance, feedback, and direction. Homework assignments and informative handouts are an integral aspect of our therapeutic approach. We have an extensive library of recommended reading, which includes quarterly newsletters about how to maintain emotional wellness. We assist our clients in accessing community resources that will offer additional networks of support, and liaison with medical doctors and other health care providers when appropriate.

Simply put, we don't just listen, we teach. We teach individuals the skills they need to modify behavior, cope with life's stressors, communicate effectively, let go of their past, and move forward with their lives.

Christine Hefel, LPC, NCC, LSOTP, Professional Life Coach, is the founder and director of Leon Springs Counseling & Life Coaching. Christine received her Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Texas , Austin , and her Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University , San Antonio .

Christine is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Professional Life Coach. She is also a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC).  Christine has been distinguished by the state of Texas as an authority in treating sexual predators and survivors of sexual abuse. She is a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider (LSOTP) who is committed to community protection and safety, and whose testimony is considered expert in a court of law.

As a graduate student at the University of Michigan , Lisa received a fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health. This Fellowship gave Lisa the opportunity to access extensive specialized training in working with survivors of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. She is a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider (LSOTP), whose testimony is considered expert in a Texas court of law.

Lisa is also an expert in child, adolescent, and family counseling. Using play therapy for very young or nonverbal children and cognitive-behavioral therapy for older children and adolescents, Lisa helps children navigate the stress and pressures today's youth face, both interpersonally and academically. Lisa assists family members in working through their feelings so that they are able to develop healthy, prosocial ways of coping with these feelings. Taking a collaborative approach, Lisa strategizes with parents to establish effective, individualized behavior-management plans for their children. She has assisted countless families not only in reconnecting with each other, but in raising healthy, well-adjusted children.

In addition to her specialized areas of expertise, Lisa works with individuals of all ages who may be struggling with more ‘traditional' counseling issues: depression, anxiety, grief and loss, and marital issues. She also teaches special skill sets including social skills, anger management and parenting skills. Lisa has extensive experience in working with blended, divorced and single-parent families. She also enjoys working with clients who have diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, and/or alternative lifestyles.

Lisa is currently in the process of becoming a sex therapist.

Desirae Ysasi attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, first earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and then a Master of Arts in Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), the highest accreditation possible in the state of Texas for a Master’s level counselor.

By adopting a collaborative relationship between herself and her clients, Desirae has been very successful in helping individuals resolve a wide variety of mental health issues. Desirae has a strong background in aiding individuals who live with chronic pain. Her experience as an Admissions Coordinator at Laurel Ridge Treatment Center sharpened her assessment skills and led to a proficiency in making quick, accurate diagnostic assessments of individuals in crisis.

Other areas of expertise include working with clients who suffer from depression and anxiety, as well as aiding individuals, couples and families in improving their interpersonal relationships with significant others, family members, friends and co-workers. Because Desirae has the ability to foster a therapeutic relationship with her clients fairly quickly, she works well with those clients who may be resistant to counseling.