University Counseling Center

I consider it a privilege to be entrusted with the care of students as they embark on a journey of healing from some of life’s greatest challenges. My goal is to bring warmth, empathy, and a non-judgmental attitude to every encounter, so that each student feels empowered to be their truest self. I strive to provide patient-centered care through a treatment relationship grounded in mutual respect and guided by students’ unique values and goals. My training in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry has given me a breadth of knowledge on the presentation of mental health disorders across the lifespan and a recognition of how different life stages influence treatment goals.

Dr. Jesse is originally from Omaha, NE, and earned a BA at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. She returned to Omaha for medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Jesse completed a General Psychiatry Residency and a Fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Jesse is thrilled to join the outstanding staff at the UCC and continue to grow as a clinician through her work with VU students.

In her free time, Leah enjoys spending time with her husband and young daughter, reading, and doing yoga.