As of January 2024, Lesley is a state-licensed esthetician. Since 2000, Lesley has been a member of the Associated Bodyworkers & Massage Professionals (ABMP) and is an Indiana state certified massage therapist. Lesley graduated massage school in 2001 and has continued to compliment her practice through continuing education courses with Upledger Cranio-Sacral Therapy (Levels I and II), Usui Reiki (Levels I, II, and Master), the 200-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (Health Coaching) and, most recently, Myofacial Trigger Point Therapy as taught by Dr. Janet Travell.
Lesley has used her passion for writing to educate the community through presentations and workshops on "Living Better with Chronic Pain". Getting a diagnosis of fibromyalgia in 2003, Lesley understands the aggravation of not knowing what is wrong and not having anywhere to turn for answers. Fortunately, she found a group of physicians and healthcare practitioners willing to look past the symptoms in order to treat the causes. They partnered with Lesley and taught her how to "live better to get better" - hence the name, Living Better Therapeutics.
In December 2012, Lesley won a scholarship to attend the "Leaders Against Pain" conference in Washington D.C. where she became a member of the Leaders Against Pain Coalition and the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association. Lesley continues to use her training as a Leader Against Pain to advocate for people living with chronic pain by educating the media, members of congress, and the general population through her blog at www.fightfm.blogspot.com.
In January 2013, Lesley completed her training with Indiana's council on aging (CICOA) and became a Lay Leader to co-facilitate the Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), called Living A Healthy Life With Chronic Conditions. She volunteered as a lay leader facilitating these classes throughout Indianapolis and it's surrounding counties.
Also in January 2013, (10 years after starting the first support group for Fibromyalgia at Hendricks Regional and facilitating it until 2010) Lesley assisted Hendricks Regional Hospital in starting a new support group for people living with chronic pain. The group met the 2nd Friday monthly at the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA in Avon, Indiana until 2017, when the group dissolved.
Lesley plans to start a YouTube channel to offer a series of videos teaching how to Live Better while living with chronic pain. Her videos and blog should be active in February 2024.