Lea S. Denny received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. Ms. Denny, MS, LPC-IT earned her graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mount Mary University (a CACREP program). Her theoretical orientation is rooted in neuro-counseling and attachment theory that is trauma-informed. Ms. Denny strives for an ongoing practice of cultural humility versus cultural competence when working with the communities that she serves. Ms. Denny has worked (15+ years) with children, youth, and their families in various settings and roles including residential, in-home care, and school settings. She is Hawaiian and Filipino, and her husband is Oneida (Native American) and together they have two children and are also foster and adoptive parents with the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. Ms. Denny worked as an Academic Counselor for First Nations Studies, Milwaukee Public Schools serving First Nations/American Indian students K4-12th grades. As an intern clinical therapist, she worked solely with sexually abused children providing Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with an emphasis on sensorimotor interventions.
Her current research, “All Nations—One Tribe: Healing Historical Trauma Together” was her master’s thesis. This research was an exploratory, community-based, quantitative study to identify the prevalence, pervasiveness, and transmission of historical trauma as intergenerational trauma, and pathways for post-historical trauma growth. Ms. Denny was the inaugural recipient of the Ana Grace Scholarship presented by the ChildTrauma Academy in the fall of 2016.
She is the founder and Executive Director of HIR Wellness Center, Inc. which is a new program in its initial stages of growth. HIR (Healing Intergenerational Roots) aims to address the unique needs and concerns of communities impacted by Historical Trauma. This is a nonprofit program (Founded fall 2016) vision is to provide reduced to free clinical mental health counseling and consulting services to Urban First Nations/American Indian and disenfranchised communities in Milwaukee, WI. The HIR program accepts that for First Nations/American Indians, healing often happens in the community through traditional healing practices and ceremonies, prayer, and with the guidance of respected healers and elders. With this understanding, HIR addresses the health disparities within the Urban Native community in a way that honors an individual, familial, and community ideas, concerns, voices and values around mind, body and spiritual wellness.
To learn more about HIR Wellness Center: www.hirwellnesscenter.org