Resident in Counseling
Heather is a Resident in Counseling with Revelations and has earned a Masters of Science in Military and Emergency Responder Psychology (MERP) from Colorado State University Global. Her current study and practice fulfills a lifetime goal of providing personal development and mental health care to military, veterans, responder personnel, other high-risk occupations and their loved ones. Heather’s professional background provides a unique intersection in professional experience with both a strong psychological education foundation and practical experience with responder service and culture. Heather’s approach to counseling integrates cognitive behavioral, existential, solutions-focused and attachment-oriented modalities with a systems lens and person-centered focus. Heather is also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy from a certified training through the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA).
Heather has previous employment as a Program Analyst for the federal government. She began her federal career in 2007 as a federal law enforcement officer, and in that role she served on her Agency’s Honor Guard and on specialized teams focusing on counterterrorism, trends and operational patterns of criminal organizations, and high-risk assessments. In 2014 Heather received a Commissioner’s Award for Special Recognition, along with her assigned unit, for her performance on a Congressionally-mandated project.
Heather has earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Certificate in Forensic Investigation from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. During her undergraduate studies, Heather also assisted in academic advising and research support to the university’s psychology laboratory. Through her research assistance role at the university, Heather is listed as a co-author on a peer-review article in entitled, “Semantic Processing in Auditory Lexical Decision: Ear-of-Presentation and Sex Differences”, [Wurm, L.H., Whitman, D.R., Seaman S.R., Hill, L. and Ulstad, H., 2007, Cognition and Emotion, 21 (7), 1470-1495].
Heather is originally from Michigan and was born in Detroit proper where she spent time living and working in the city as a young adult. Detroit has a special place in her heart because, as she puts it, “That city has grit!” Detroit is also special because it’s the place where she met her husband, with whom she now shares in the joy of raising two boisterous girls.
Given the chance, Heather will spend her free time being active in the outdoors-running, cycling and roller blading as the seasons permit. She loves the lush greenery of Virginia but laments the southern summers-the Midwest cold is in her blood! She enjoys reading fantasy fiction and thrillers, e.g., Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett and Dean Koontz, and enjoys live music of (almost) any kind. Heather appreciates a deep connection with dogs and fondly remembers her recently departed canine companions- Baxter and Monty. Heather enjoys getaways to the mountains (beaches are not her thing) and exploring new places with her family in their bunkhouse camper.
