Heather Sheets

About Heather

My approach

My therapeutic approach is strength-based and grounded in cognitive behavioral, interpersonal psychotherapy, and narrative psychology. Successful therapy uncovers inner strengths that may have been quieted or overlooked — transforming emotional pain into resilience, insight, and growth.

About me

Our first session will involve a lot of questions — and that’s by design. I want to get to know you — what brings you to therapy, what’s working in your life, and what you’d like to see change. We’ll explore your story, your strengths, and the beliefs you hold about yourself and the world around you.

More background

In what ways do your life philosophy and treatment philosophy overlap?

Often, clients start therapy and are so disconnected what they are doing to actually survive and cope with overwhelming emotional and relational pain. This overwhelming feeling and increased experience of distress can dull a person’s ability to identify and believe in their own capabilities and strengths. Psychological distress can cover the most vibrant experiences in a gray or even black cloak of despair. Therapy is not about changing what makes a person unique. I believe therapy is about building on the individual and unique positive characteristics of every person. Successful therapy should identify untapped inner strengths that maybe have been quieted or ignored. Successful therapy is about turning pain and psychological distress into emotional strength and resilience. Endings with clients are sad because I no longer have the incredible privilege of witnessing their life journeys. Ending are also much sweeter when a client doesn’t credit me with the identified personal changes but instead gives the credit rightfully to themselves. At the end of our work, I hope the identified strengths, skill sets, coping mechanisms, positive qualities, and personal characteristics they have at the end of therapy they now see were present all along. Present before they even met me. The experienced change is due to their bravery to see themselves truly and live authentically. To live in a vibrant world, not dulled gray or black but that includes shades of both they have control over.

Work history

Dr. Heather Sheets has been a licensed clinical psychologist for 16 years with a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from an APA approved education and training program. She completed an APA approved doctoral internship at the University of Notre Dame where she received a specialty in alcohol and substance assessment and treatment. Following her internship, Dr. Sheets completed formal post-doctoral training at Northwestern University where she further developed expertise in short-term therapy, CBT, and narrative therapy. Once licensed, Dr. Sheets became the substance abuse coordinator at Northwestern University and opened her private practice in downtown Chicago and now practices outside of Washington, D.C.

Specialties

Types of therapy

Who Heather works with

Ages

Adults

Communities

LGBTQ+, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Christian, Single Parents

Languages

English

Education and training

Certifications

Health Service Provider in Psychology

Telehealth Provider

Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology

ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology