“It is better to travel well than to arrive.” – Buddha My name is Heidi Dryer and I obtained my license as a Marriage and Family Therapist in 2015 but I have been practicing since 2012. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. I have extensive experience working with individuals from all walks of life. The most important aspect of therapy is the therapeutic relationship. I understand the importance of having an empathic ear, especially now that we find ourselves with the illusion of being “connected” with one another only to feel more disconnected than ever. We are not born good listeners. Listening is an acquired skill. It is difficult to find someone, even in the professional world of therapy, who really listens and genuinely tries to understand the other person’s world. That is why I try my best to be present with every single person that I meet in the therapy room. I believe in holistically providing treatment so I work under the premise that all individuals have the innate ability to solve their problems although sometimes a guiding hand is necessary to lead one in the right path to have a healthy and happy life. At some point in my life, I worked as Flight Attendant so I often use the metaphor to describe my philosophy that all human beings are travelers in this journey called life. I believe that sometimes, as travelers, we often either don’t pack enough or carry too much luggage. Symbolically, this luggage has been accumulating little by little throughout our lives from the moment we are born. We carry good things in our luggage. But, sometimes, there are too many unnecessary things that are just weighing us down. If we don’t make an effort to make a thorough inventory of all those items our journey will be unpleasant. We know this is happening when we feel stuck in life. We feel unhappy, anxious depressed, hopeless and helpless. Sometimes it's difficult to get out of that loop so this is when therapy can be very helpful.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session, we will start with brief introductions, then we start discussing a little more of what brings you to therapy as well as any experience you may have had with therapy. I will also ask you some questions about your life and relationships just so I get to know a bit better. We will also start setting goals for our work together.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have extensive experience working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I would say my biggest strength in guiding people who are trying to heal from this is my ability to be present and feel where you are so you don't feel pressured or re-traumatized. I understand that everyone is in a different mental space and respecting that is very important, especially when healing from sexual trauma. Taking one step at a time without rushing is very important. Because my specialty is in trauma, I also enjoy working with those who are struggling with anxiety and depression. The majority of the time, what is causing those symptoms is unprocessed trauma so my expertise can help you unpack your experience in a safe place so you can process it and finally be able to move forward.