Lucy Heller (she/they)

Relationships can be tough yet they are some of the most important factors to our overall wellbeing. Monogamy doesn't work for everyone and yet so many people feel ashamed, confused, or lost when it comes to wanting to create open or polyamorous relationships. I am affirming of non-traditional relationships and aim to support my clients in creating agreements that work for all people involved. I led a polyamory peer support group in fall of 2023 and am hoping to start another one soon.

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” - Krishnamurti. Burnout is a symptom of much larger problems that affect us all. My approach to working with burnout, depression, anxiety, or eco-grief involves finding ways to change our surroundings, or when that's not possible, befriending challenging emotions so that we can continue to show up for ourselves and our communities.

Gestalt therapy integrates mindfulness, parts-work, psychodrama, and somatics to bring awareness to the here-and-now. We use the stories of the past or future to see how they are showing up in the present, and how shifting the present affects our entire being. Sound esoteric and abstract? That's because it's better felt than explained.

I have seen tremendous shifts while working with clients from an IFS perspective. When we are able to see our behaviors, emotions, and triggers as protective parts of ourselves, we can hold more gentleness, understanding, and curiosity for them as well. While I am not formally trained in IFS (though hope to be soon!), it's a modality I reach for often and comes naturally in my work with clients.

NVC is more than a communication tool, it is a lens through which we can see ourselves and others. I have done multiple trainings in NVC over the past several years which has led me to feel comfortable integrating in into therapy sessions with both individuals and couples. I disagree with the idea that NVC is a script to follow, and rather view it as practice for creating more understanding, compassion, and choice in our lives.

Anger is a powerful and informative emotion that can cause both great suffering as well as powerful positive change. I do not shy away from anger or try to push it down into a box, rather I hold curiosity and compassion to try to understand what it's needing. By allowing our anger to express itself in healthy ways, we can transform this otherwise intimidating force into something inspiring.