Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Lang.
Hi Leslie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a small town in West Texas. I was raised around hard working, middle class people. My dad was a cotton farmer and a God fearing man and was firm, but fair with us. I struggled to find my place as my brother’s stepped into the farming business and me being the girl, I wasn’t included in that process.
In High School, my grades were not the best, I was a pretty average student, but I was really good at listening to my friends and giving advice. Back in the day there was an advice section in the newspaper called Dear Abby and so all my friends called me dear abby as I was their sounding board. When it came time to make some life decisions after High School, I was told by my counselor at school that I should consider a vocation as she did not think college was for me. I chose not to believe this and pursued a degree in Psychology.
I graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelors degree in 1993 and became an adult probation officer in Lubbock, Texas for about 2 years. I then transferred to Austin, Texas and had a specialized caseload of working with sex offenders from 1996-1998, I had felt my true calling all along was to become a counselor, but graduate school seemed daunting. My husband saw strangers open up to me randomly and told me that I have to pursue my dream and truly believed I was smart enough and capable of doing anything I set my mind to.
I began graduate school in the fall of 1998 and graduated with a Masters in Psychology in December 2000 from University of Mary Hardin Baylor. During graduate school I interned with some of the therapists I had worked with when I was a probation officer and so I then stepped into working with sexual offenders from a counseling perspective.
I completed my 3000 hours of supervised counseling with the crisis center in Round Rock, Texas and once I became licensed in 2004 I worked contract under another provider for 6 years. I worked with teens, adults, couples. I believe I needed a balance with other types of client’s besides offenders to create a healthy balance for myself. I also completed the 1000 hours of supervised counseling to be licensed as a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider, so I worked with juveniles and adults with offenses of a sexual nature.
I started my own practice in 2011 in Pflugerville, Texas and it was scary, but so rewarding to work for myself and help others at the same time.
I moved my practice to Liberty Hill, Texas in 2020 and I discontinued working with juvenile offenders at that time, but I continue to work with adult sex offenders from Williamson and Burnet Counties. I believe God intended for me to do exactly what I do, and even though some days are heavy and hard, I feel I make a difference and that is what matters to me. My son use to tell me when I would leave for work, go save some lives today, and I have always taken that to heart.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Fairly smooth, but with a job working with mental health issues, there are always some people that cannot be helped and that is very difficult. I lost one client to suicide and that is gut wrenching. Every day is a new adventure of helping people overcome struggles and strongholds in their lives. I use Cognitive Behavioral techniques and I am very goal oriented with my approach, so I try to make sure people walk out better than when they walked in.
I had a former client that I would constantly tell him that “Life is a Matter of Choice not Chance” and my juvenile offenders I would give them key chains when they graduated from high school that said this, and this particular client went and got my quote tattooed on him. I was so honored to know that I made a that kind of difference for him.
As you know, we’re big fans of I practice just under my name. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I have described some of this in the previous sections.
I have the specialty of Sex Offender Treatment Provider. I think my client’s, for the most part would say what sets me apart is that I truly care and that I am as genuine as you will find.
“Life is a Matter of Choice Not Chance” My motto for my client’s
I work each day to be the support someone may need to move forward, redirect or just find hope.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Well this is funny, I was 24 years old when I moved 6 hours away from my family. I knew no one in Austin, Texas and moved in an apartment alone and started working with Sexual Offenders at the Travis County probation department. This was in 1996, so there was no GPS, and I could not carry a gun, so I would go to their homes to do home visits and I look back now and see why my parents were scared to death for me, but I have always said I am the little dog that thinks she is bigger than she is. Each step of my journey has been protected by my relationship with God and I am so grateful he has given me the opportunities he has.
If we don’t take some risks in life, we never grow and live up to our full potential. Life will pass you by if you don’t embrace challenges and take some risks to reach goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leslieklang.com
