Heather is a Limited Licensed Psychologist and a Limited Licensed Counselor and my hope is to be able to reach out to families and individuals who do not have the life resources to seek guidance and support when dealing with daily struggles.
I have a personal interest which has motivated me to specialize professionally in areas of assisting parents who have children with medical special needs. Since, I too am a parent of a child who has special medical needs; I have a great appreciation for how difficult it can be and all of the unique stressors it can put on a parent and the family. Along, with specializing in this one area, I also am interested in other areas that may be an underlying factor that may make it difficult for parents to cope including: depression, anxiety, the increased genetic component of having another child with medical special needs, infertility, pregnancy and miscarriage, grief and loss of a child, and the family dynamics associated with somatic symptoms and health. I consider my counseling approach to be humanistic and person-centered but also feel that it depends on the presenting issues of the client.
As a therapist I want to assist change, growth, and self awareness in a caring and friendly manner to all individuals. My mission is to provide a mutually respectful environment where all individuals can come and feel safe and have a peace of mind in the quality of service that is provided. I will assist clients in seeing and coping with how these different areas are related to their emotional, psychological, and physiological difficulties that arise as a result of these issues. It is my job to be where my client is while understanding they decide where to go and how fast they want to get there.
Types of Therapy Offered
- Individual
- Marital and Family
- Group
Principle Areas of Focus
- Assisting parents who have children with medical special needs
- Emotion and Mood Disorders among Adults, Adolescents, and Children
- Work and Family Related Stress
- Recent and On-going Trauma/Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Grief and Loss
- Depression and Anxiety
- Coping with Stress, Anger, and Conflict Management
- Overcoming Personal and/or Professional Setbacks
Specialized Training
- Administering and Scoring Various Psychological and Cognitive Assessment Tools
- Level I Certified EMDR Therapist
- Training and Coaching Specialist for Critical Incident Response/Advance Best Practices Training
Education
- Grand Valley State University, BA in Psychology 2000
- Spring Arbor University, MA in Psychology and Counseling 2005
