Please contact the therapist directly using the information provided in their profile. Do not include personal health information, diagnoses, symptoms, trauma history, treatment history, or other sensitive information in communications with EMDR for Kids. EMDR for Kids is a therapist directory and does not provide clinical services or collect client intake information.
Leslie Trevino Buckmaster
Registered Associate Clinical Social Worker, ASW #119304
Supervised by Keren K. Goldenberg, LMFT #48697
Employed by Sunray Psychotherapy
Children often communicate their struggles differently than adults. Anxiety may look like irritability, school refusal, perfectionism, or frequent worries. Grief may show up through changes in behavior, withdrawal, or difficulty concentrating. Trauma can affect a child’s sense of safety, relationships, emotional regulation, and confidence. My goal is to help children make sense of their experiences, develop healthy coping skills, and build resilience in a supportive and compassionate environment.
I specialize in working with children and adolescents who are navigating anxiety, trauma, grief and loss, emotional regulation challenges, family transitions, and difficult life experiences. I believe every child has unique strengths, and therapy should be tailored to meet them where they are developmentally, emotionally, and socially.
As both a School Social Worker and therapist, I have extensive experience supporting children in educational and clinical settings. My work has given me a deep understanding of child development, social-emotional learning, school-related stressors, peer relationships, family dynamics, and the impact that life experiences can have on a child’s emotional well-being. I collaborate closely with caregivers to ensure children feel supported both in and outside of therapy.
I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and incorporate EMDR therapy when appropriate to help children process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional impact of difficult memories. EMDR can be especially helpful for children who have experienced trauma, loss, medical procedures, bullying, family conflict, accidents, or other overwhelming events. Through EMDR and other evidence-based interventions, children can learn to feel safer, more confident, and more capable of navigating challenges.
My therapeutic approach is warm, playful, and relationship-centered. I strive to create a space where children feel accepted, understood, and empowered to express themselves. Depending on a child’s age and needs, therapy may include play-based interventions, creative activities, storytelling, mindfulness, coping skills development, emotional regulation strategies, and family collaboration.
I draw from trauma-informed, attachment-based, psychodynamic, and solution-focused approaches to support children and families. While healing from difficult experiences is an important part of therapy, I also focus on helping children recognize their strengths, build self-confidence, and develop skills that support long-term emotional well-being.
Common concerns I help children and adolescents navigate include:
I believe that healing happens through connection, safety, and understanding. It is a privilege to partner with children and their families as they work toward greater resilience, emotional well-being, and confidence. My goal is to help every child feel seen, supported, and equipped with the tools they need to thrive both now and in the future.
