Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Slemmons.
Hi Leslie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My path into social work didn’t start in a classroom — it started in the Philippines.
At 18, I took a gap year and spent two months volunteering at an orphanage, where I had the chance to shadow the on-site pediatrician. What I witnessed surprised me. It wasn’t the doctor who was most present in the lives of those children and their families — it was the social workers. They were the hands and feet of care and compassion, showing up in ways that medicine alone couldn’t. Something shifted in me—and I knew I couldn’t ignore it.
I completed my BSW and then my MSW, and spent the next 20 years building a career that took me across some of the most meaningful corners of this field — leading a court advocacy program for survivors of domestic violence, directing a residential treatment facility for children experiencing trauma, and managing a team of 80 staff members at a nonprofit alternative school. Each of those roles deepened my understanding of one thing: the mind and body are inseparable, and both must be part of healing. I began to see patterns that traditional talk therapy alone couldn’t fully address.
That conviction led me to yoga. In 2020, I completed my 200-hour training in Yoga for Trauma and Mental Health, studying from a decolonizing perspective of yoga therapy that honors the full spectrum of nervous system needs. I also completed training for Level 2 Internal Family Systems and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. I draw from somatic yoga, Viniyoga (from the Desikachar lineage), Internal Family Systems, and Pain Reprocessing Therapy to support women navigating trauma, anxiety, and chronic pain — helping them find agency and healing from the inside out.
I currently run a private practice in Bluffton, South Carolina, alongside another therapist who is also dual-trained in yoga and mental health. It’s the work I was called to do at 18 — and I’m still just as certain about it today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
But it hasn’t been a straight line.
Social work is one of the most underpaid, under-resourced careers out there. Burnout doesn’t happen all at once—it creeps in slowly, in the quiet moments when you start to wonder if you’re actually making a difference, if you’re good enough, if you can keep showing up for others inside systems that so often fail the very people they’re supposed to serve. I’ve sat with all of those questions. More than once.
And now, running my own practice, the challenges look different — balancing the business side of things with the clinical work I love is its own learning curve. No one hands you a roadmap for that part.
But honestly? Those struggles are part of why I do this work the way I do. I know what it feels like to be depleted, to doubt yourself, to need something more than what the system offers. That knowing lives in me — and it shapes every single session.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Peace By Piece Therapy?
Peace by Piece Therapy is a holistic, trauma-informed private practice based in Bluffton, South Carolina, founded on one core belief: healing isn’t just a mental process—it’s a whole-body experience. We offer individual therapy and yoga services that weave together clinical expertise and somatic practice to help people find real, lasting relief from trauma, anxiety, chronic pain, disordered eating, and the weight of simply not feeling at home in their own bodies.
What do you specialize in and what are you known for?
We specialize in the intersection of mental health and movement. Our approach brings together Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, Pain Reprocessing Therapy, somatic yoga, Viniyoga (from the Desikachar lineage), and trauma-informed yoga — creating a genuinely integrative experience that most therapy practices don’t offer. We’re known for working with women who have tried traditional therapy and felt like something was still missing. That missing piece is often the body.
What sets you apart?
Most therapy practices treat the mind. Most yoga studios treat the body. Peace by Piece does both — we do them together, intentionally and clinically. Both of our therapists are dual-trained in mental health and yoga, which is rare. We also approach from a framework that honors each person identity, culture, and lived experience rather than fitting them into a one-size-fits-all model of wellness. We believe body trust is a birthright — not something you earn.
What are you most proud of, brand-wise?
The name says it all — Peace by Piece. Healing isn’t linear and it isn’t instant. It happens in layers, one piece at a time. That philosophy is baked into everything we do, from the way we structure sessions to the way we talk to clients. We’re proud that people walk through our doors feeling unseen and leave feeling like they finally have a path forward. The testimonials we’ve received speak to that — clients describing feeling lighter, finding their voice, feeling like their life was given back to them.
What do you want readers to know about your offerings?
We offer 1:1 therapy sessions, therapeutic yoga and somatic sessions, yoga classes, and specialty programs including Yoga for Anxiety and Trauma, Yoga for Addiction, and Somatic Yoga. We also have free resources available and a newsletter for anyone who isn’t ready to book but wants to stay connected. New clients can start with a free 15-minute phone consultation — no pressure, no commitment. Just a conversation. We’re located at 10 Pinckney Colony Road in Bluffton, and we’d love to welcome you in.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Bluffton is a small town tucked between trees and water, and honestly — that’s one of my favorite things about it. There’s something about being surrounded by nature that does something for the nervous system that’s hard to explain until you experience it. The marsh, the Spanish moss, the way the light hits the water — it creates a natural backdrop for the kind of slowing down healing actually requires. For my clients, just getting here can be part of the therapeutic process.
That said, I’ll be honest — Bluffton is still growing, and with that comes some real gaps. Mental health resources are limited, and finding a sense of community here can take more effort than it should. People can feel isolated, especially if they’re newer to the area or don’t fit the typical mold. That reality actually fuels a lot of what I do. The need is here. The people are here. And I want Peace by Piece to be part of building the kind of community and access that this town deserves.
Pricing:
- $150-$175 for 1:1 Therapy
- $20 for Yoga Classes
- $45 for Workshops
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.peacebypiecetherapy.care
- Instagram: @peacebypiecetherapy
