San Francisco · Psychotherapy

A practice built on
depth, rigor,
and care

A boutique clinical psychology practice specializing in evidence-based therapies for individuals and couples.

"The deliberately small size of my practice affords me the ability to treat each of my patients with a highly personalized touch."

About

Dr. Leslie Yan Meier

Leslie Yan Meier, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Leslie Yan Meier, Ph.D.
Wesleyan University, B.A.
UCLA, Ph.D. Clinical Psychology
Pre-doctoral Internship — SF VA / UCSF
Post-doctoral Fellowship — SF VA / UCSF
San Quentin State Prison
Kaiser San Rafael, Dept. of Psychiatry
Bridge to Bridge Psychotherapy

Welcome. I am a Bay Area native and love raising my family in San Francisco.

I am a highly trained and skilled psychologist and deliver a high caliber of care to my clients. Our work together will ensure that you have a knowledgeable therapist to work alongside, who knows you and your goals well, and can promote the insight and skills to help you achieve those goals. The deliberately small size of my practice affords me the ability to treat each of my patients with a highly personalized touch.

My undergraduate degree is from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, where I majored in Neuroscience, Biology and Psychology. I began my clinical and research endeavors at Massachusetts General Hospital working with adults with bipolar disorder.

I completed my doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at UCLA's top-ranked program, where my research focused on the impact of stress on the course of bipolar disorder. I then completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the San Francisco VA / UCSF Medical Center.

Most recently, I spent 5 years working with Bridge to Bridge Psychotherapy, and in the Department of Psychiatry at Kaiser San Rafael for nearly 10 years.

My academic training and years of real-world clinical practice are at the heart of what I offer my patients.

Working with Dr. Meier

Services & Areas of Expertise

Individual Therapy

Extensive training and experience in providing evidence-based treatments. Specializing in helping clients develop insight and practical skills across a range of conditions.

Mood Disorders Anxiety Panic Attacks PTSD & Trauma
CBT DBT ACT
Couples Therapy

I use an Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) approach — an evidence-based intervention grounded in attachment science. The goal is to help couples develop healthy dynamics to promote deeper understanding, compassion, security, and emotional connection in the relationship.

EFT Attachment Theory Emotional Communication
Bipolar Disorder

Experience and expertise spanning nearly 25 years in research and clinical settings. Acting as a "first mate" to your "Captain" — identifying early mood symptoms to minimize the impact of mood episodes and lengthen periods of wellness, in collaboration with your psychiatrist.

Mood Monitoring Relapse Prevention
CBT DBT IPSRT
Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders are medical disorders. My approach is non-judgmental, compassionate, practical and grounded in evidence-based science. I draw from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and abstinence and harm reduction models. My goal is to help foster hope and resilience in recovery.

CBT Motivational Interviewing Harm Reduction Abstinence Recovery Resilience
Trauma Disorders

There is a well defined response to traumatic events in life — normal responses to abnormal occurrences. I use both cognitive behavioral and acceptance and commitment therapy approaches to help survivors of trauma learn to manage experiences, including unhelpful patterns of thinking, avoidance behavior and intense emotional responses.

PTSD CBT ACT CPT

Frequently Asked Questions

What to expect

How do I get started?

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It is nice to have a phone call so I can hear a little about why you are interested in beginning therapy and I can answer questions on your mind. Send me an email or leave me a voicemail to get started.

What are your fees?

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My fees are commensurate with a doctoral level clinical psychologist in San Francisco with nearly 20 years of experience. Please reach out directly for current fee information.

Are you an in-network provider?

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I am an out-of-network provider and do not work directly with any insurance providers. A superbill is provided so that you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement, which varies from carrier to carrier.

Where do you see patients?

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I prefer to meet in person at my office in San Francisco, though I do see clients virtually and can pivot back and forth as needed to accommodate travel and schedules.

"No Surprises Act"

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Congress enacted the "No Surprises Act" in 2022 to protect patients from surprise medical bills. As part of this Act, patients are entitled to a "Good Faith Estimate" for the costs of services. For more information on the No Surprises Act, please see: www.cms.gov.

Academic Roots, Clinical Depth

Research & Publications

Before entering clinical practice, I was on a rigorous academic path at MGH/Harvard, UCLA, and UCSF. My skill as a psychotherapist stems directly from my involvement in cutting edge research; learning to analyze, think and conceptualize as a scientist makes me a stronger clinical psychologist today. Here is a peek at some of my prior academic publications.

Stressful live events lengthen recovery time after mania

My dissertation research at UCLA found that people who went through stressful life events (like a job loss, move, injury, or break up) at the same time as a manic episode took longer to get back to baseline in their relationships and in how they functioned at home and at work.

Yan Meier, L., Eberhart, N.K., Hammen, C.L., Gitlin, M., Sokolski, K., and Altshuler, L. (2011). Stressful life events predict delayed functional recovery following treatment for mania in bipolar disorder. Psychiatry Research, 186, 267-71.

Bipolar disorder in adulthood is often preceded by childhood disorders

When looking for diagnoses that occur ahead of bipolar disorder, we found higher rates of childhood ADHD and anxiety. This could suggest early markers of risk for adult bipolar disorder.

This data comes from the largest and most influential research study of adults with bipolar disorder (STEP-BD), an NIMH-funded study I worked on after college at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Henin, A., Biederman, J., Mick, E., Hirshfeld-Becker, D.R., Sachs, G.S., Wu, Y., Yan, L., Ogutha, J., and Nierenberg, A.A. (2007). Childhood antecedents to bipolar disorder in adults: A controlled study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 99, 51-57.

ADHD and bipolar disorder frequently co-occur which complicates treatment and outcomes

Nearly 10% of adults with bipolar disorder also struggle with ADHD. We found this overlap is associated with earlier onset of bipolar symptoms (about 5 years), shorter periods of wellness, more depression, anxiety and substance use. Safely treating both attention and mood is crucial.

Nierenberg, A.A., Miyahara, S., Spencer, T., Wisniewski, S.R., Otto, M.W., Simon, N., Pollack, M.H., Ostacher, M.J., Yan, L., Siegel, R., Sachs, G.S., STEP-BD Investigators. (2005). Clinical and diagnostic implications of lifetime attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder comorbidity in adults with bipolar disorder: Data from the first 1000 STEP-BD participants. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1467-1473.

The quality of the emotional environment in a family is associated with depression in adults with bipolar disorder

My Master's Thesis at UCLA explored how negativity predicts recurrence in bipolar disorder. The family environment matters. High emotional intensity can make recovery challenging. Small shifts in communication can support recovery, stability, and wellness.

Yan, L.J., Hammen, C., Cohen, A.N., Daley, S.E., and Henry, R.M. (2004). Expressed emotion versus relationship quality variables in the prediction of recurrence in bipolar patients. The Journal of Affective Disorders, 83, 199-206.

Integrating suicide assessment into clinical care of bipolar disorder

Suicide prevention is a critical objective in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Just as there is routine monitoring for mood symptoms, there should be an ongoing assessment of inclination and opportunity for self harm.

Sachs, G.S., Yan, L.J., Swann, A.C. and Allen, M.H. (2001). Integration of suicide prevention into outpatient management of bipolar disorder. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 62 (Suppl. 25), 12-16.

Reducing the stigma of suicide

Suicide is a serious and complex public health issue. Improving awareness, education, and research is essential to help both the public and health care providers recognize risk factors and strengthen prevention efforts.

Grandin, L.D., Yan, L.J., Gray, S.M., Jamison, K.R. and Sachs, G.S. (2001). Suicide prevention: Increasing education and awareness. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 62 (Suppl. 25), 3-11.

Get in Touch

Start a conversation

Ready to take
the first step?

Office
2489 Washington Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Email
drmeier@meierpsychology.com
Phone
415 484 6880

A brief phone call is the best way to begin — I would love to hear what brings you here and answer any questions you may have.

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