Meet Dr. Lesley Tate-Gould | Founder at Summon Courage, Clinical Psychologist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Lesley Tate-Gould and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Lesley, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?

The value that matters the most and at times is the hardest to live by is to tell the truth… always. This is difficult given my upbringing, where it was more adaptive to be obedient and attentive to the needs of others, often at the deprivation of my own needs and desires. It is not by accident that this early environment cultivated my aspirations to seek a healing and helping profession like therapy- get paid to attend to the needs of others? What a no brainer!

Over the past several years, with the personal evolution that can only occur after becoming a mother myself, I have steadily been liberating from this obedience and finding ways to speak the truth, even when this may result in some unpleasant interactions. I used to believe that the truth would limit my access to relationships, fearing that if people knew me fully they would not appreciate what they were seeing. However, this is not in fact what I discovered. The courageous decision to be honest and honorable to myself, has actually deepened my relationships and with self-discovery find gifts that had been hiding behind the curtain of a life that I was living for someone else.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

My career as a Clinical Psychologist has taken many twists and turns. From specializing in young children and families to working with adults suffering from substance use and disordered eating, I have been no stranger to walking into environments in which I know very little and wanting to figure out ways that I can be helpful. I find it interesting looking back and seeing that there were some clinical populations which used to terrify or mystify me, and then upon cutting my teeth on exposure to these presentations, I discovered that those that caused the most internal discomfort or clinical challenge were often the individuals holding up the biggest mirrors. It is a valuable and humbling reminding of that which bothers us in our external environment can be a gift if we are willing to consider what the stirred up feeling is trying to help us to see more clearly.

When I was recruited to be a Co-Founder of Lido Wellness Center, our hope was to fill a much needed gap in the treatment industry, to be able to provide a treatment environment specializing in trauma, anxiety and depressive disorders. My early experience had shown me the conscious manifestation of anxiety, depression and trauma- through people’s inability to curb the damaging impacts of substance use and disordered eating. The question we strived and continue to strive to answer is, what is underneath these behaviors? And once discovered, can there be a comprehensive treatment approach to treat, address and liberate a person from the barriers of these once helpful adaptations that are no longer conducive in a person’s life. This work inspired me and I used to belive, “this has been where I’ve been headed my whole life!” I loved the work, and threw myself into the many new challenges coming my way as a first-time business owner, which was far different from life spent primarily behind the door of a clinical office.

Throughout my years with the organization, I discovered a natural affinity for leadership and teaching, enjoying environments in which I could command an audience to learn more about our approach to holistic mental health care or deepening our appreciation for the healing potential from trauma wounds. I have held many roles within Lido Wellness Center, including Executive Director, Clinical Director and Chief Clinical Officer, gleaning important lessons along the way, including the very nuanced challenges of providing excellent care amongst a backdrop of managed health that still does not understand nor respect the non-linear trajectory of healing from complex trauma and attachment injuries.

Over the past year, I was startled awake to a discovery that I could not have anticipated, I have more to give this work and myself beyond Lido Wellness Center. An important lesson here is that while I had felt satisfied at one point, the truth is, therapists are the vehicle of our craft. Our instincts, intuition and interventions are reflections of our own work and our willingness to be honest with ourselves. A teacher shared with me the value of “putting your focus on going where you are needed with people who value what you do”.

I elected to leave the safety of my organization that I helped found to put my money on myself and launched Summon Courage, an expansion of my private practice to include areas of personal and professional passion including courses, coaching and perhaps down the road, intensives. My greatest gifts can be offered to help those that want to learn and work with me, freeing me and ultimately the greater audience to thrive, rather than merely exist. I am welcoming this new chapter with the confidence of two truths: Change is constant and our best work is enlivened when we are living honestly and authentically.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I love the outdoors so I would start with a great place for hiking with some scenic views. I love the Upper Newport Bay State Marine Conservation Area early in the morning to listen to the birds and watch the sun come up. Another great option is Top of the World in Laguna Beach, and this is a great one even if you have little ones because there is a park at the top with picnic tables for a chance for all to refresh. You can also never go wrong with visiting our coast. We set a goal this summer to visit at least once every weekend to take advantage of the offerings and Newport Beach never disappoints.

Given the season we are at with little ones underfoot, we also enjoy places that have outdoor space for running around. The Camp, in Costa Mesa has something for everyone- including some of the best wood-fired pizza and hands down the most inventive salads at Folks Pizza. We have long been fans of Blackmarket Bakery, which has in our opinion butter croissants with just enough crunch, flake and butter. Around the corner from The Camp are local breweries that are also dog and kiddo friendly. The Anti-Lab also has some great boutiques with an edge as well as some great eateries including Havana for great, authentic Cuban cuisine and Memphis for southern fare.

Lastly, we are a family that loves classic, comfort food. I love the experience of eating where you can tell the recipes have been handed-down and are made with intention and a lot of love. Madee Kitchen is classic Thai cuisine, which will require some planning- do not arrive starving because there is love put into every dish, which takes time to prepare as though you were sitting in someone’s home. Trust me, it is well worth the wait!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today without the support of my greatest teachers: my husband, Travis and my children, Corbin and Chloe. When I married Travis and we knew that we would eventually have children, we used to imagine the ways in which we would parent, hoping that if we were intentional about our decisions that our children would grow in such a way that they may be afforded different experiences than we had. I lovingly look back at those two individuals, hopeful, full of love and wanting to bring forth a greater love and energy to our emerging family and feel grateful that we have not strayed from this initial intention with our family.

For parents out there, you may acknowledge as I do that parenting is some of the most difficult, rewarding and humbling work you will ever do. My children have shown me the power of forgiveness, empathy, grace, patience and letting go- far more than my decades of work as a therapist could have ever shown me.

I also have deep gratitude for my first family- without my mother, father and sister I would not have pursued this incredible work that I do, getting the opportunity to witness incredible changes and intimate nature of people, often at their darkest, messiest and most courageous.

Website: summoncourage.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/summoncourage

Image Credits
Jon DeLeon