Heather Wheeler

https://oakandwavecounseling.com/ I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) offering individual, couples, and family therapy in a space designed to feel safe, honest, and human. My work is rooted in the belief that healing isn't about becoming someone new — it's about returning home to yourself, with more clarity, compassion, and steadiness than before. My work draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness — helping you make room for what's hard, reframe unhelpful patterns, reconnect with what matters, and meet each moment with a little more steadiness. During my master's degree, I completed a thesis focused on the LGBTQ+ community and the impact of religious trauma — work that continues to shape my passion for advocacy. I am committed to being an affirming, safe presence for LGBTQ+ clients, and to walking alongside anyone navigating the wounds that can come from faith communities. I've had the privilege of working across an array of populations and settings — including community mental health, inpatient mental health treatment, and outpatient services. Each setting has shaped the way I show up in the room: with curiosity, humility, and a deep respect for what every person brings with them. I'm a client-centered clinician who weaves together mindfulness, compassion, trauma-informed care, insight-oriented work, and motivational techniques to help clients move toward their goals at a pace that feels right for them. I've also served as a Director of Outpatient Services, where I oversaw and facilitated outpatient programming — including Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), individual and group therapy, and family counseling. That leadership work deepened my understanding of how layered, collaborative, and individualized real care has to be. Beyond the modalities, I'm just a human who finds real passion in being present with other humans — walking alongside you on your journey toward personal peace. Whether you arrive carrying anxiety, grief, relational pain, or simply a sense that something needs to shift — you are welcome here. We'll move at your pace.