Meet Phyllis Leavitt: A Voice for Healing and Hope
On the Life Made Easier podcast, I had the honor of sitting down with someone who has dedicated her life to understanding and guiding others through the healing journey: Phyllis Leavitt. A psychotherapist with over three decades of experience, Phyllis brings a unique blend of clinical insight and spiritual wisdom to the conversation on trauma, resilience, and societal healing. Her work is both timely and timeless, offering a compassionate yet grounded perspective on what it truly takes to transform pain into purpose.
Early Work and Clinical Expertise
Phyllis’s path to becoming a thought leader in emotional and societal healing began in 1989, after earning her Master’s in Psychology and Counseling from Antioch University. Her early work included co-directing Parents United in Santa Fe, a groundbreaking treatment program for families affected by sexual abuse. That formative experience taught her something that would shape her career:
“The pain we hold in our individual lives mirrors the pain we carry collectively. Healing one contributes to healing the other.” — Phyllis Leavitt
Introduction: Why Healing Is More Urgent Than Ever
In a world increasingly marked by collective stress, emotional overwhelm, and social disconnection, the need for healing—both personal and cultural—has never been more urgent. Marked by growing division, emotional burnout, and rising violence, healing is no longer optional—it’s essential. For psychotherapist and author Phyllis Leavitt, healing isn’t just a personal journey; it’s a national imperative.
With over thirty years of experience guiding individuals and families through profound transformation, Phyllis now turns her focus to something even larger: the collective soul of America. Her new book, America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis, offers a bold yet compassionate roadmap for understanding the root of our social wounds—and how we might begin to truly heal, together.
A Journey from Private Practice to National Insight – Therapy Room to National Reflection
Phyllis’s path to becoming a thought leader in emotional and societal healing began in 1989, after earning her Master’s in Psychology and Counseling from Antioch University. Her early work included co-directing Parents United in Santa Fe, a groundbreaking treatment program for families affected by sexual abuse. That formative experience taught her something that would shape her career: This realization would become a throughline in all her work, from private practice to national advocacy, and now to the pages of her books.
“The pain we hold in our individual lives mirrors the pain we carry collectively. Healing one contributes to healing the other.” — Phyllis Leavitt.
Bridging the Personal and the Political
Phyllis’s writing draws from her deep well of clinical experience, her understanding of Family Systems Therapy, and her lifelong commitment to healing. She is the author of three powerful books:
- A Light in the Darkness
- Into the Fire
- America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis
In America in Therapy, Phyllis uses the lens of family dynamics to explore how unresolved trauma, denial, and emotional dysfunction don’t just play out in homes—they play out across entire societies.
“America is like a wounded child. Until we admit the wounds, we can’t heal them.” — Phyllis Leavitt.
Her message is clear: just as we need safe, honest, and compassionate spaces for individual healing, we need the same for our country.
Why Her Message Matters Now
What makes Phyllis’s voice so timely is her ability to fuse psychological insight with spiritual and social consciousness. Her ability to weave individual healing with collective awareness. As someone currently living and writing in Taos, New Mexico, her life is one of intentional reflection and contribution.
“Writing is my way of reaching people beyond the therapy office. We’re all part of this healing movement, whether we realize it or not.” — Phyllis Leavitt.
In our conversation, the clarity of the profound similarity between our approach to inner personal healing. While I take a more personal approach, “Life Made Easier,” when “Living from the Inside Out,” Phyllis takes these principles a step further, emphasizing the importance of emotional literacy and compassionate accountability as building blocks for societal progress. Her approach doesn’t sugarcoat trauma but instead honors the hard truths with an invitation to heal.
Now semi-retired and living in Taos, New Mexico, she devotes herself full-time to writing, reflection, and sharing her message with a wider audience.
“Writing is my way of reaching people beyond the therapy office. We’re all part of this healing movement, whether we realize it or not.” — Phyllis Leavit.t
In an era when many feel powerless in the face of societal breakdown, Phyllis offers something rare: a practical and soulful path forward. She speaks to both the grief of where we are and the hope of what’s still possible.
Step Into the Healing Conversation
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the state of the world—or by the weight of your own life—Phyllis’s work offers a new perspective. One rooted in empathy, grounded in experience, and driven by the belief that healing is both a personal responsibility and a collective necessity.
Here’s how you can take the next step: Step Into the Healing Conversation
Whether you’re navigating personal grief, burnout, or trying to make sense of what’s happening in the world, Phyllis’s work offers a profound lens for reflection and growth.
👉 Explore her latest book, America in Therapy
👉 Follow Phyllis Leavitt for updates and resources on healing and resilience.
👉 Listen to the full podcast episode on the Life Made Easier podcast show for a deeper insight into her message
.👉 Read her latest book, America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis
👉 Visit www.phyllisleavitt.com for more resources, writings, and updates
👉 Listen to her full interview on the Life Made Easier podcast for 👉 Share the conversation—because healing grows stronger when it’s shared
Authoring Books That Speak to the Soul
Phyllis is the author of three deeply moving books:
- A Light in the Dark
- Into the Fire
- America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing
Each of these works bridges the gap between psychological insight and spiritual awakening. In America in Therapy, Phyllis explores how the patterns we see in dysfunctional families—denial, abuse, projection, fear—are mirrored in our political and social systems.
“America is like a wounded child. Until we admit the wounds, we can’t heal them.” — Phyllis Leavitt.
