Heather Asaadi (she/her)

Relational 

I am passionate about building a meaningful therapeutic relationship - it is within relationships that healing and growth occur. A meaningful therapeutic relationship is when we can feel zest and energy together, we feel that we matter to one another, and have the experience of mutually learning, growing, and empowering each other.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a combination of mindfulness, CBT, and acknowledging that multiple truths exist at the same time (dialectics). DBT teaches skills focused on being mindful, understanding and regulating your emotions, tolerating distress more skillfully, and increasing effectiveness in interpersonal interactions/relationships. DBT informs my approach and I like to utilize concepts and skills from it with clients, but I am not practicing it to it's full fidelity in sessions.

Personal Growth

Therapy is a great place to learn about the patterns you’ve developed (cognitive/behavioral/emotional/relational patterns), explore what has contributed to the development of these patterns, and work to change patterns that aren’t working for you anymore.

Cultural and Systemic Oppression

I think it is important to explore how your identity and relational patterns are impacted by different systems: family, culture, society, & oppression. These systems can play a significant role in our mental health.

PTSD

Trauma impacts so much! It is useful to raise understanding of how trauma reacts in the body and brain and what trauma-related beliefs you might have developed. I'm trained in Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), which helps process trauma, build more context around your trauma history, and empower you to change your narrative.