Meet Leah

My name is Leah Alviar and I would like to share a little bit about myself with you. 

Degrees, Certifications, and Professional Experience: 
I earned my B.S. in Generic Special Education from Our Lady of the Lake University, my M.A. in Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and my Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.  

I am both a Licensed Professional Counselor and certified school counselor with over 23 years of counseling experience.  I have held leadership roles in local, regional, and state counseling organizations, am a published author, present at local, state, and national conferences and served as editor for Ph.D. student dissertations.  

Currently I am a Senior Director at UIW and teach graduate counseling courses.  I previously served as the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at OLLU and have over 17 years’ experience teaching university students in both the online and face-to-face environments and have authored, designed, and taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate level for over 18 years.
Theoretical Perspective:

Over the course of my counseling career, I have worked with people who were anxious, depressed, stressed, and simply burned out; I have helped couples who have struggled with communication issues and relationship barriers; I have worked with families regarding parenting, abuse, grief, and death; and I have helped adolescents and adults with career planning, self-esteem building, goal setting, and wellness strategies to cope with major life changes. Throughout my work, I have used many techniques and applied multiple theories, as each person is as unique as the theories and techniques.  I am solution-focused and client-centered.  I feel the counselor serves as the guide and facilitator for the clients as they move through their journey.  I use a humanistic approach to counseling, but also integrate cognitive behavior therapy techniques as deemed appropriate.  I adapt my counseling strategies to meet the needs of the client.
A Little About Me:

I have been happily married to my high school sweetheart for 25 years and together we have three amazing sons.  We enjoy fishing, being outdoors, reading, traveling, and catching the latest movie together as a family.  When practicing self-care, I enjoy ultra-running, reading, skydiving, and quilting.