Heather Ruiz

As a former singer/actress and military spouse, and now mom to both two-legged and four-legged creatures, my experiences run the gamut. A bachelor's in psych and master's in social work has provided me a multifaceted perspective on human behavior; yet, nothing sharpens your skills quite like learning each client's emotional language. As someone who considers "transition" an old friend and understands the intense vibrations of the DC area, I assist clients in seeking balance amongst the chaos.

I pull from several evidence-based modalities to help us explore what I believe to be the crux of the therapeutic process - understanding ourselves as deeply as we possibly can. This often means examining our history, relationships, and attachment style in order to form new pathways. Sitting in discomfort is hard, therefore humor is injected into sessions. I love a good tv/movie quote, really anything that's thought-provoking and will resonate with you.

How we reach your treatment goals varies; it may involve mindfulness, role play, expressive arts, and certainly emotional processing. I'm not a worksheets therapist; however, we can discuss whether pondering/journaling something specific in between sessions would benefit you. You can anticipate a straightforward and person-focused therapist who will challenge you to create meaningful change.