Heather Stevens, MA, NCC

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
― Viktor E. Frankl

As a Counselor, I want to help my clients find this power in responding to the struggles or concerns that have brought them to counseling. My priority is providing a warm, accepting, and safe space for my clients. I recognize the value and importance of the time my clients spend in counseling and want to be sure they feel heard and that their time with me is well spent.

I follow an eclectic approach to helping, with my focus being person-centered while also employing cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, narrative, solution-focused, and existential techniques as appropriate. When it makes sense, I love to use art or play when working with children and the challenges they are experiencing related to big emotions, fears, anxiety, attachment, or social skills. With adolescents, my goal is to create an environment where they feel comfortable sharing their struggles with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, body image, social issues, identity, sexual orientation, past trauma, or other problems they are facing at home or in school. The world today is incredibly complex, and I want to help our youngest and most vulnerable clients learn how to navigate those complexities while still preserving their childhood and the critical self-development that occurs during adolescence.

Adulthood is often marked by a number of critical decisions and life transitions related to parenthood, career, relationships, identity, grief, loss, or past trauma. Here, I support my clients as they navigate these experiences, working through related thoughts, emotions, relationships, and other considerations to reduce the risk of clients getting “stuck”. For those in parental roles, I look to provide support whether this is a newer role they are adapting to or one in which they are established but now encountering a challenging concern or struggle.

I understand the responsibility I have as a counselor in building a strong therapeutic alliance with my client. They have made an important decision to seek counseling, and my goal is to gain their trust so that we may effectively walk together on this therapeutic journey.

MORE ABOUT ME:

I am a long-time runner, having completed 21 marathons and numerous other road and trail races. Once, while running in DC, I ended up as an extra on the television show “The District”.

I enjoy supporting my community whenever possible, currently serving as a preschool board chair, Girl Scout leader, and track coach for elementary and middle school children.

Other interests include art, photography, and travel.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

• Wake Forest University graduate with a M.A. in in Counseling program, Clinical Mental Health Counseling track
• University of Virginia graduate with a B.A. in Economics, Minor in English
• Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society International (CSI) – Member since August 2024
• American Counseling Association (ACA) – Member since February 2023
• Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC) – Member since February 2023
• National Certified Counselor (NCC)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)

SUPERVISED BY:

Charlie Clark, LPC, NCC

CREDENTIALS:

Resident In Counseling

PRELICENSE:

0704018921