Leah Alviar

Leah Alviar is a licensed professional counselor and a certified professional school counselor in Texas with more than 22 years of experience in the counseling field. She holds a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word, a master of arts in Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and a bachelor of science in Generic Special Education from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Throughout her career she has held leadership roles in counseling organizations at the local, regional, and state levels, served as an editor for Ph.D. student dissertations, published professionally, and presented at conferences across local, state, and national venues. Those activities reflect a long-standing commitment to the profession and to advancing counseling practice.

In her current work she serves as a Senior Director at the University of the Incarnate Word and teaches graduate counseling courses as well as undergraduate preparatory courses at multiple universities. Her prior roles include Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, instructional designer, adjunct professor in an M.A. in Counseling program, Director of Field Experience, assistant professor of education at Our Lady of the Lake University, and professional school counselor in several San Antonio independent school districts.

Leah has more than 15 years of experience teaching university students in both online and face-to-face settings, and she has authored and taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels for over 17 years. She adapts her instructional and clinical approaches to meet the needs of students and clients alike.

Clinically, Leah is solution-focused and client-centered, using a humanistic foundation while integrating cognitive behavioral therapy techniques when appropriate. Her practice has included work with people experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, and burnout; adolescents and couples facing communication and relationship challenges; families dealing with parenting, abuse, grief, and loss; and individuals seeking career planning, self-esteem building, goal setting, and wellness strategies to manage major life changes.

On a personal note, Leah has been married to her high school sweetheart for almost 25 years and they are raising three sons. The family enjoys fishing, spending time outdoors, reading, traveling, and catching movies together. For self-care she pursues ultrarunning, reads frequently, goes skydiving, and quilts.