LICENSED MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST
Long Beach, CA
I have had the pleasure of working with Lesley Richards for over 6 years in the substance abuse industry where she has worked in various roles including but not limited to; Sober Coaching, Interventionist and Group Facilitation. Lesley has endless bouts of passion and love for those who struggle with addiction, as well as the loved ones affected by addiction. She is able to communicate with such efficiency, directness, and realness to the point where it resonates directly with individuals, and challenges them to look at their actions and thought process. Lesley is an individual of integrity, justice and fairness, making her an excellent role model for this industry. I highly recommend working with Lesley if you are struggling with addiction or have a loved one battling addiction. She is the best in the field.
CLIENT
San Pedro, CA
Our loved one has been in-and-out of treatment centers for the past 12 years. Upon meeting Lesley at a treatment center, we were so grateful to her for going above and beyond and surpassing the care of any other treatment center. She "TRULY CARES." She helped our son "find his way." She never gave up on him, even through his relapses. She got to the core of his issues by finding out who he was. Lesley is a true master at her skill and helped educate us about addiction being a family disease. Lesley is unlike anyone I have ever encountered in my life -- she is heaven sent.
Lesley checks in with us often, letting us know she always has our family in our thoughts. Over the course of 15 years I have yet to meet anyone so devoted. Our family holds her up as a genuinely skilled COACH, INTERVENTIONIST and DEAR FRIEND for life. I recommended her to others with the assurance that she is the best there is!
CLIENT
Oceanside, CA
I didn’t really know how to start this off other than to say It’s a miracle that I’m sober. I have Lesley to thank for that. I’d say she’s the reason I’m still here. I was living on the streets with my ex doing whatever I could to get my next fix/high regardless of the consequences. I didn’t see the point in living at that point and felt completely hopeless. Hospitalization after hospitalization from overdoses, being arrested, suicide attempts, the list goes on. I just didn’t see a way out. When I met Lesley I could tell she understood the pain I was in, as she had formerly gone through it. Lesley has gained my trust and I believed what she had said. There was a better way. I never had to feel the way I was feeling again. It’ll take some work of course. She showed me that I could have a different life. One that I was content with. Something that I had been searching for all these years. She had gotten me safely into a detox and then inpatient.
Today, I’m a couple months from being three years sober. I work at a dual diagnosis treatment center where I enjoy helping others learn to live a different/better way of life. I attend meetings regularly and have a sponsor. I have commitments that also keep me busy. I’ve made lasting friendships through sobriety that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Most importantly, I’m content with my life through sobriety and it continues to get better each day. I have a beautiful relationship with my parents today. They no longer have to wait by the phone feeling helpless expecting that phone call to be about me. I’m still amazed at what sobriety has offered me so far and I have Lesley to thank for that. I’m forever grateful for her.
AUTHOR, LECTURER, INTERNATIONAL INTERVENTIONIST
San Pedro, CA
I’ve known Lesley Richards for over ten years and she has always been a woman of her word. She has shown that she cares about families that she works with as if it were her own family member. Lesley has a foundation of respect, honor and love, which makes for excellent ingredients in applying her intervention techniques. She has shown me over the years that her purpose in life is to help others and to do that in the most professional manner.
CLIENT
Orange County, CA
Our son's therapist recommended Lesley as an interventionist. Our son was looking for a way out of his drug habit. Even if the desire is there, recovery is difficult to achieve and transition into. Being his parents and not having any personal experience with drug addiction, we were not equipped “to bring him in from the streets.” His situation was complicated and there were extenuating circumstances that made intervention difficult. We essentially had two families attempting to pull off 2 interventions on both kids together -- without any success. Having lived through her own addiction struggles, Lesley understood the physical and emotional struggles of addiction and knew how to communicate with the addict. Where we as parents did not succeed, Lesley established a rapport with our son. After multiple efforts, our son gradually came to trust Lesley. She successfully brought him into a rehab/detox program without rushing the recovery process. She arranged detox followed by an intensive inpatient program. Our son still communicates with Lesley.
​Parents lacking knowledge or experience in the treatment and recovery process are desperate for effective solutions. The overwhelming blizzard of confusing and conflicting information and claims were difficult to wade through until we had the assistance of Lesley who successfully walked our entire family through the recovery process. We fully recommend her services and hope that you will have the same favorable outcome.
CLIENT/FRIEND
Lynnwood, WA
Back in 2009, I was 18 years old and needed a complete life change. I was suffering from a 3-year drug addiction and had just moved to another state to start over. Lesley has been one of my greatest and most significant life mentors. I'm now approaching 10 years of sobriety. I can honestly say that Lesley played a major roll in both my life and recovery in the subsequent years. She quickly became someone I talk to before making many major life decisions such as college, career changes, etc. When I decided I was ready to get married, we talked that one through too. She motivated me and supported me to study law. While attending school, she helped me find my first real job as a business litigation paralegal. Since then, I have made two other career changes and she has been there every step of the way. To this day I consider her to be a great friend who I can turn to during many of life's turning points. Thanks Lesley!
