My work has been shaped by years of sailing and decades of supporting families through birth and recovery, which led to the creation of WAVE.

Leigh William

MSc Integrative Therapy | Early Life Expert | Author

Exploring how early experiences shape emotional wellbeing, relationships, and the patterns we carry throughout life.

I am Leigh William, an integrative therapist, author, and researcher with more than 30 years of experience in early childhood development, maternal wellbeing, family support, and education.

My work examines the relationship between early life experiences, emotional regulation, trauma, and human adaptation. Drawing on integrative psychology, attachment theory, developmental science, and somatic approaches, I explore how our earliest experiences influence the ways we think, feel, relate, and respond to the world around us.

I am the creator of WAVE (Water Based Attunement for Vitality and Emotion), a conceptual integrative therapy model developed through my postgraduate research, exploring the potential of water, sensory experience, and relational attunement to support maternal emotional regulation.

Through my research, writing, and therapeutic practice, I seek to connect scientific understanding with lived human experience, making psychological knowledge accessible, meaningful, and applicable to everyday life.

Explore My Work

Integrative Therapy

Understand the relationship between psychological, physiological, and emotional wellbeing, and how integrative approaches can support meaningful change.

Research & WAVE

Explore my research into maternal emotional regulation, relational attunement, and the potential therapeutic applications of water.

Writing & Publications

Read my essays, reflections, and forthcoming book, Beyond Adaptation, Understanding the Patterns That Shape Our Lives, examining how our experiences shape the patterns through which we navigate life.

Connect

I welcome conversations with fellow researchers, practitioners, educators, and individuals interested in human development, emotional wellbeing, and the relationship between science and lived experience.

  • Trauma Informed Psychologist and Integrative Therapist MSc

  • Certified Birth, Parenting, and Human Development Expert

  • Founder of WAVE, a Water-Based Healing Modality

  • Author, Humanitarian, and Advocate for Women and Families

  • Sailor, Certified Yachtmaster and Ocean Therapist

  • Certified Retreat Facilitator

  • Member, International Association of Therapists

  • Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula and Midwife Assistant

Schedule a time to speak with Leigh

What is Integrative Therapy?

Integrative therapy is a personalized approach to counselling that draws from different therapeutic models to meet your individual needs. Rather than using a single method, sessions are shaped around you, combining practical tools with deeper reflective work to support your emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.

This approach looks at the whole person, including thoughts, feelings, behaviors, relationships, and life experiences. Therapy is flexible and collaborative, with space to adapt as your needs change and to work together in a way that feels supportive and empowering.

Integrative therapy may include
• Cognitive approaches to explore and shift unhelpful thought patterns
• Behavioral strategies to support change in habits and responses
• Psychodynamic work to understand past experiences and relationships
• Mindfulness and relaxation techniques to support emotional regulation

It can be helpful for anxiety, depression, trauma, self esteem difficulties, relationship challenges, stress, and issues around substance use.

Important Disclaimer

This site is offered as a supportive and reflective space and is not a substitute for medical care, psychiatric treatment, crisis intervention, or emergency services. Reading this website and/or any engagement with Leigh directly or indirectly does not establish a therapeutic or clinical treatment relationship, nor does it replace support from a licensed medical or mental health provider where such care is required.

If you are currently experiencing acute psychological distress, thoughts of self harm, or are in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services or a trusted crisis support provider in your country without delay.

By visiting or subscribing to Leigh’s website, you acknowledge and accept responsibility for your own wellbeing and understand the scope and limitations of this offering.

We cannot out sail the sea.
It will change us,
undo us,
teach us how to begin again.
So we travel together -
anchored in care,
guided by love,
always homeward.

Leigh

What the Sea Knows