About Heather
About Heather – Who Am I?
Hello there! This is the place to find out who I am and whether or not we would be a good fit. The two most important ingredients to your success in therapy are whether or not we are a good fit and your motivation to change. So it’s really important for you to know who I am before you choose me as your therapist.
Counseling is my later-in-life career. It’s what I always wanted to do, but for a variety of reasons, I had to wait until I was older to become a therapist. I have had many careers and I have gone through many of life’s bumps and blessings. I bring a richness of experience to my therapy that allows me to connect with pretty much everyone.
I LOVE what I do. I am PASSIONATE about it. It ENERGIZES me. I read therapy books for fun. I can’t begin to explain how much becoming a therapist made me a better person, wife, mother, friend, daughter, listener, advocate etc. I have learned that I am truly enough and to radically love myself for who I am. Through my journey, I shed perfectionism and worrying about what other people thought about me. My personal journey to become a nationally certified sex therapist expanded my ability to accept and love others, including myself.
So why does that matter? Because I want to do that for YOU!
I want you to feel alive and energized and connected in healthy, meaningful relationships. I want you to learn that you are truly enough and to radically love and accept yourself. I want you to know that you don’t have to be perfect, smart, successful, rich, pretty (you fill in the blank) to be valued. I want you to wake up every day feeling like life is pretty darn amazing. I want to help you create the life you really, truly want, not the one you think you are supposed to be living.
So how can I do that for you? Truthfully, I can’t fix things, but I can help YOU to change YOUR life. You already have everything you need right inside of you. You just need help finding it. Doesn’t that already make you feel better?
What I do is LISTEN and CARE and SUPPORT you UNCONDITIONALLY no matter what. I PROVIDE A SAFE and SUPPORTIVE Environment for you to cry, vent, scream, laugh, learn etc. I offer PERSPECTIVE and INSIGHT. I love balancing both intellect and emotion to create the type of environment that meets you where you are, with full acceptance and warm caring.
And then I am awed by your resiliency and ability to change and claim the type of life and relationships you want. It’s amazing! That’s why I LOVE what I do. I get to help people change and grow and create a life that truly matters to them. That’s an HONOR.
Along the way, I’ve learned who the clients are that literally light me up with energy in a way that our sessions seem to flow and fly by, where we both completely “get” what the other is feeling and saying and meaning. Those are the people I enjoy working with the most. They are usually adults who struggle with low self-esteem, not feeling like they are enough, dissatisfaction with their lives, poor relationships, sexual shame or a history of childhood family dysfunction.
If you have read this far, you have probably figured out that I am pretty relaxed and positive. I am not a stuffy person that will just nod my head while you talk in the therapy room. I am very interactive and I bring my energy and enthusiasm for you to your sessions. The fact that I have a bright cow painting in my office tells you that I am a fun person and I think therapy can be a great experience.
A little bit more about the details (in case you are still reading)…
I am a Kansas City based Licensed Clinical Psychotherapist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. I am a lifelong learner and I want to be able to offer the most to my clients, so I invest heavily in my education. I am a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator using Brene´ Brown’s work on shame and vulnerability and authenticity (Daring Way™ and Rising Strong™) . I am an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and also a University of Michigan trained Sex Therapist, where I earned a Certificate in Sexual Health because I wanted to help individuals and couples with Sexual Health needs. Finally, I have participated in significant training in training in Emotionally Focused Therapy and also use Gottman methods to help me to be an even better couple’s counselor.
I earned a BS in General Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, an MBA from Rockhurst University, a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology. I began my career in the Army and then worked in Senior Management at Hallmark Cards before running my own photography business while staying at home with my 4th child and completing my graduate training in psychology.
When I am not working, I enjoy working out, reading, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with my friends and family. My husband and I have a blended family of 6 kids.