Jenny Leca, M.Ed., ATR-P, Outpatient Clinician 

 Jenny's journey into mental health care is deeply rooted in her lived experience. Born Deaf due to Goldenhar syndrome, Jenny spent much of her early life navigating medical procedures, missed school, and limited access to Deaf culture. She attended Clarke School, where sign language was prohibited and speech was prioritized, leaving her feeling disconnected from her identity. That changed when she transferred to East Longmeadow High School and was introduced to sign language and Deaf peers, a turning point in understanding her identity.

“Even now, I don’t fully fit into either the Deaf world or the hearing world. I live in the middle. I use a cochlear implant, and while some people call me hard of hearing, I identify as Deaf. My identity isn’t defined by technology or speech—it’s shaped by lived experience, cultural connection, and what feels true to me.”

Jenny earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts, focusing on psychology, art, and Deaf studies—fields that helped her explore identity, expression, and human behavior. Discovering art therapy as a career was a turning point. She later completed a master’s in clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy, combining academic training, personal insight, and hands-on experience to support Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in ways that honor how they communicate and who they are.

Her therapeutic approach is rooted in emotional safety, patience, and connection. Jenny meets clients where they are—whether they sign, speak, gesture, or struggle to find words—and adapts her methods to fit their needs.

“Emotional safety isn’t something we work toward; it is where we start… Whether someone signs, speaks, gestures, or struggles to find words, I meet them where they are. I don’t start with a modality. I start with the person… I shape the approach around them.”

Jenny practices Culturally Affirmative Therapy, which honors Deaf identity and challenges systems that weren’t built with Deaf individuals in mind. “Deaf identity is not a deficit. It is a culture, a language, and a lived experience that deserves respect… Healing begins when the space itself speaks your language.”

She’s seen how systemic barriers can weigh heavily on clients—and how important it is to validate those experiences. “These reactions are not resistance. They are responses to past harm… I validate their lived experience, name the impact of audism and exclusion, and adapt tools to fit how they think and feel.”

Jenny advocates for Deaf and hard of hearing clients within a healthcare system that often overlooks their needs. She centers empowerment by asking each person what works best and adapting care to fit them, not the other way around. “Access does not start with a device or a form,” she says. “It starts with humility. Meeting Deaf clients in their language, honoring their experiences, and letting them guide the process is what turns care into dignity.”

She encourages providers to ask rather than assume. “Just as we inquire about pronouns or gender identity, we should also ask how clients identify in terms of hearing status,” she explains. “Respect begins with language—and with the humility to ask instead of presume.” Her message to hearing clinicians is equally clear: 

“Start with curiosity, not assumptions. Inclusive care means offering choices, honoring communication preferences, and adapting tools to meet the individual—rather than expecting the individual to conform to the system.”

For Jenny, Deaf Awareness Month is more than a celebration—it’s a reminder of the diversity within the Deaf community and a call to action for equity in care. It’s about recognizing that Deaf people are not all the same; some speak, some sign, some do both, and some live in between. Honoring diversity means adapting systems to fit the person, not asking the person to fit the system. As Jenny puts it, being seen isn’t enough—we need respect, equity, and real change. That’s not just access. That’s dignity.