Heather Hinnah

I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience supporting individuals and families through some of life’s most difficult and uncertain moments.

Much of my clinical background has focused on working alongside people living with chronic, complex, and terminal health conditions, as well as those navigating cancer, ALS, major healthcare crises, treatment decisions, and the emotional impact of a life-changing diagnosis.

I believe that sometimes you don’t need someone to “fix” a situation—you need someone who can sit with you in it, help you make sense of what’s happening, and figure out what comes next.

My approach is compassionate, practical, and grounded in the belief that you are the expert in your own life. Together, we can work through anxiety, grief, overwhelm, life transitions, caregiver stress, difficult emotions, and the challenges that come with managing a serious or chronic health condition.

I also understand that healthcare can be overwhelming. My experience working within healthcare systems has given me a unique perspective on the emotional, relational, and practical challenges that can come with being a patient or caregiver. I can help you process the experience while also helping you identify tools and strategies to feel more grounded and in control.

My goal is to create a space where you feel heard, respected, and never judged. Whether you are facing a new diagnosis, living with an ongoing health condition, caring for someone you love, experiencing a major life transition, or simply feeling like things have become too much, I’m here to help you navigate it.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and individualized. I don’t believe there is a single approach that works for everyone, so I draw from several evidence-based therapeutic modalities depending on what you need and where you are in your life.

I use Solution-Focused Therapy to help identify strengths, build on what is already working, and focus on meaningful, achievable steps forward.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be helpful in understanding the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and developing tools to respond differently when those patterns become overwhelming. I also incorporate Attachment Theory to explore how relationships and past experiences may influence the way we connect with others and understand ourselves.

When appropriate, I use Internal Family Systems (IFS)-informed work to help clients better understand the different thoughts, emotions, and “parts” of themselves that can show up during times of stress or uncertainty.

I also use Motivational Interviewing to help clients explore ambivalence, clarify what matters most to them, and make changes that feel authentic rather than imposed.

Whether you are trying to cope with a diagnosis, adjust to a new reality, support someone you love, manage caregiver stress, work through grief, or simply feel more like yourself again, my goal is to meet you where you are and help you move toward where you want to be. I’ll offer both a safe space to process what you’re experiencing and practical tools you can use outside of therapy.

Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin building a therapeutic relationship that feels comfortable, safe, and collaborative. I’ll want to understand what brought you to therapy now, what you have been experiencing, and what you hope will be different as a result of therapy.

We’ll talk about your current concerns, relevant history, strengths, supports, and the things that have helped—or haven’t helped—in the past. Depending on your needs, I may also use brief clinical assessments to better understand symptoms such as anxiety, depression, stress, or other concerns. These are simply tools to help guide our work and are not meant to define you.

We’ll also discuss what you can expect from me as your therapist, including communication, scheduling, boundaries, confidentiality, and how we’ll handle communication between sessions.

Most importantly, I want you to have an opportunity to ask questions and make sure that working together feels like the right fit.

One of my primary goals in the beginning is to establish therapeutic rapport and trust. I want you to feel heard, respected, and comfortable being honest with me—even when the things you're experiencing are difficult to talk about.

From there, we’ll work together to identify your goals for therapy and develop a treatment approach that is meaningful to you. My goal isn’t simply to help you feel better in the moment, but to help you develop greater insight, practical coping strategies, confidence, and the ability to navigate challenges more effectively.

I’ll bring clinical knowledge, experience, and tools to our work, but you get to help determine where we go and what success looks like for you.