Heather Walker, PhD Children, Adolescents, Adults

Professional Statement

Hello, my name is Dr. Heather Walker. I am a California licensed psychologist offering psychotherapy to clients in adolescence through elderhood. I have 20 years of experience working across the lifespan to alleviate suffering in varied mental health settings. My approach is integrative and holistic, which offers flexibility for collaborating with clients to create a process that optimally suits their needs and goals and synergistically addresses the multifaceted aspects of their being. Through compassion, deep listening, mindfulness, and attentiveness to nonverbal/body signals and narrative themes, I assist clients in bringing suppressed emotions, limiting beliefs, personal mythologies, as well as innate wisdom to their awareness. I can be direct, but I am also compassionate and gentle. I listen closely to understand my client’s perspectives and offer honest feedback and support in the process of problem-solving and realizing solutions. Simultaneously, I help clients envision the life of their dreams. Together we create a step-by-step plan for attaining their values aligned goals, taking the time as needed to hold space for sourcing inspirations, experiencing emotions, navigating challenges, rewriting personal mythologies, developing skills, and integrating realizations. When mutually agreed upon that it is clinically appropriate, sessions might include working with dreams and spiritual experiences. I also support clients to increase awareness of their consciousness itself, as the context of their experience. Research has strongly supported the effectiveness of increased awareness of consciousness itself, that is, mindfulness, in improving many aspects of psychological health and wellbeing. I attained a Ph.D. from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto in 2014. I also draw from experiential learning through vision quests and other profound wilderness experiences, yoga, Buddhism, and indigenous and shamanic practices. Additionally, I have studied and practiced energy healing and therapeutic massage, which also informs my work as a psychologist. While transpersonal psychology is my foundational approach, I have also trained in and apply mindfulness-based and compassion focused interventions, neuroscientific principles, humanistic/positive/existential psychology, life coaching strategies, cognitive behavioral therapy, archetypal therapy/dream analysis/personal mythologies, ecotherapy, somatic psychology, feminist/relational therapy, ketamine and psilocybin assisted therapy interventions, subtle energy practices, and breathwork.

Education

PhD in Clinical Psychology - Institute of Transpersonal Psychology
MA in Transpersonal Psychology - Institute of Transpersonal Psychology
BA in Biological Psychology - Florida Atlantic University

Insurances Accepted

Aetna
Anthem
Beacon Health Options, Inc.
Beacon Health Strategies
Blue Shield
Cigna
ComPsych
KAISER
Magellan
MHN
United Behavioral Health
VHP
WELLFLEET