Clinical Staff

Leslie Shapiro, LICSW

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

Leslie has been providing cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD and related disorders since 1989. Leslie Shapiro graduated from Simmons College with distinction, majoring in human

services, where she received the departmental award and was elected to the Academy Honor Society. As part of completing her Master of Social Work degree from Boston University she

interned at McLean Hospital’s clinical evaluation unit working with patients and families during acute psychiatric episodes.

Leslie was then hired as a behavior therapist on a 5-year NIMH grant that studied Expressed Emotion in families with loved ones suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and panic

disorder.

She has been a behavior therapist at the flagship residential program for OCD, the OCD Institute, since its inception in 1997. Along with a specialty in conscience-related factors in OCD such as scrupulosity and moral perfectionism, she treats disorders considered to be on the OCD spectrum

and repetitive body focused behaviors, such as body dysmorphic disorder, excoriation disorder, trichotillomania, misophonia, and hoarding. She also has experience in treating people with OCD who are neurodivergent, have a history of trauma, and personality disorders.

Leslie is the author of Understanding OCD: Skills to Control the Conscience and Outsmart Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Elements, History, Treatments,

and Research, and When Religion and Morals Become OCD: Understanding and Treating Scrupulosity. Ms. Shapiro was awarded the first interdisciplinary career development research

grant at McLean Hospital that supported her pilot project on conscience related factors in OCD.

She has been a supervisor for graduate students, written peer reviewed articles, created online OCD continuing education courses, written articles for an online therapy platform, and has

presented on OCD and related disorders in professional, academic, and community settings.

Leslie is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer where she served in Mali working with local community maternal child health agents and educators. She enjoys bead weaving, quilting,

traveling, and crosswords. She lives with her husband and their dog Willow in Newton, MA and has two adult children who are in health care related careers.

Education & Training

• BA in Human Services, Simmons College
  
  
• MSW in Clinical Social Work, Boston University
  
  
• Social Work Internship - McLean Hospital's clinical evaluation unit

My Specialties

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder
• Misophonia
• Trichotillomania
• Populations Served:
• Children
• Adolescents
• Adults