Heather Nguyen

Who Am I
I am a state-licensed independent marriage and family therapist and independent chemical dependency, counselor. I am a Christian and the United States Air Force Veteran. I have spent my adult life serving others and love most helping people to see hope in whatever circumstance they may find themselves in. I have worked with people of all backgrounds and ages. Along with specializing in family dynamics and substance abuse, I am a certified trauma counselor (CCTP -II). I know that life is full of people with stories that have shaped who they are, what they have, and can contribute to their journey; if one has an unhealthy outlook it started because of where they have been and what happened. Change is possible as long as we are breathing and willing to change.

What is Psychotherapy
Therapy is like counseling with perhaps more of a medical approach in that therapy is done by a state-licensed professional and counseling can be done by many professionals who counsel you. Therapy affords you the opportunity to share your thoughts, feelings, and maybe learn new behaviors that promote a healthier you. I strongly believe that you should feel comfortable with the therapist you choose and hopeful about the therapy. Therapy is most effective when you feel a part of the process rather than feeling like something is being done to you. When you feel this way, therapy is more likely to be most helpful to you. Let me describe how I see therapy.
My theoretical approach is based on a brief and solution focused approach. This approach was introduced in the 80s by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg. This approach works well with many individuals seeking help. This approach is a strength based approach and can help people to identify what is working in their life and what may need to change for them to be more satisfied.

The most central ideas in my work are that people need people to help them along life’s journey. I have a strong faith that informs every aspect of my life to include my therapy work with individuals. Because of my faith, I can have hope that you can achieve whatever difference that you want as long as you can create the vision of your change and you can begin working toward the change to make it last in your life.


The methods or techniques I use most are:

I usually take notes during our meetings. You may find it useful to take your own notes, to remember important points, or the steps you plan to take. You may also wish to take notes outside of our sessions (ex. keeping a journal).
By the end of our first or second session, I will tell you how I see your case at this point and how I think we should proceed. I view therapy as a cooperative partnership between us. You define the problem areas to be worked on; I use my specialized knowledge to help you make the changes you want to make. Psychotherapy is not like visiting a medical doctor for a shot. It requires your very active involvement. It requires your best efforts to change thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, I will expect you to tell me about important experiences, what they meant to you, and what strong feelings were involved. This is one of the ways you are an active partner in therapy.
I expect us to plan our work together. In our treatment plan, we will list the areas to work on, our goals, and the methods we will use. I expect us to agree on a plan that we will both work hard to follow. From time to time, we will look together at our progress and goals. If we think we need to, we can then change our treatment plan, its goals, or its methods.
An important part of your therapy will be practicing new skills that you will learn in our sessions. I will ask you to practice outside our meetings, and we will work together to set up homework assignments for you. I might ask you to do exercises, keep records, and read to deepen your understanding. You will probably have to work on relationships in your life and make long-term efforts to get the best results. These are important parts of personal change. Change will sometimes be easy and quick, but more often it will be slow and difficult and will need repetitions, and so you will need to keep trying. There are no instant, painless cures and no “magic pills” for changing well-learned habits. However, you can learn new ways of looking at your problems that will be very helpful for changing your feelings and reactions.