Heather Riley

I come to this work with deep respect for how resilient and complex people are. My path started in social work, supporting youth and families in foster care and community mental health. Over time, I expanded into systems consulting and learning design — helping people and organizations navigate change more clearly and compassionately.

I earned my Master’s in Social Work from University of WA and am a licensed clinical social worker in Idaho and Washington. I’ve spent over 20 years supporting individuals through transition, trauma recovery, burnout, grief, and identity shifts. I now work primarily with adults navigating life changes, anxiety, and the desire to reconnect with themselves in a more meaningful way.

I bring a blend of clinical training, somatic awareness, and visual tools into the therapy space — adapting my approach to meet each person where they are. I also know what it’s like to be the one seeking support, and I strive to offer a space that feels grounded, nonjudgmental, and collaborative.

My approach to therapy is collaborative, intuitive, and client-centered. I believe healing happens when we create space to slow down, tune in, and get curious about what’s really going on — in the mind, body, and nervous system.

I integrate somatic awareness, parts work, visual tools, and systems-based thinking to help you make sense of patterns, regulate stress, and reconnect with your inner clarity. Depending on your needs, we might explore past experiences, nervous system responses, relational dynamics, or use visual mapping to externalize what feels stuck or hard to name.

My goal is to meet you where you are with compassion and creativity — and to support your growth in a way that feels both grounded and personally meaningful.

I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), somatic practices, Internal Family Systems (IFS), expressive arts, narrative therapy, attachment theory, trauma-informed practices and strengths-based approaches.

Clients often leave sessions with more clarity, insight, and compassion for themselves. Whether we're exploring something heavy or untangling a subtle pattern, I offer space to pause, reflect, and make meaning.

You can expect a mix of grounded support, thoughtful questions, and personalized tools that meet you where you are — emotionally, somatically, and creatively. Over time, you may notice more confidence in your decisions, a deeper understanding of your nervous system, and a stronger connection to your voice and values.

Depending on your goals, you might walk away with a visual map of your experience, a somatic practice to try between sessions, or a new insight that helps you shift something you’ve been carrying for a long time. Above all, I hope you leave our sessions feeling more like yourself — with a sense of possibility, even if things still feel uncertain.