Heather C. Younts, MA, LPC
I am honored to be allowed in the sacred space of my clients’ lives. I believe trust should be earned and cultivated through the therapeutic relationship in order to begin to fully enter into the work of healing. I long to see clients become connected fully in their lives, to find the freedom that comes with being fully seen and fully known with others. My areas of special interests include Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Depression, and ADHD.
I completed my Masters of Arts in Counseling in 2007 at Columbia International University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) certified to practice in the state of South Carolina. I am trained and certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is effective in reducing the distress related to traumatic events as well as reducing the hold of negative thoughts patterns and core beliefs. I often integrate many holistic elements in my practice to further help balance and regulate the nervous system.
working together
My therapy style tends to be collaborative with my clients, often utilizing socratic questioning and motivation interviewing rather than directive. Meaning I don’t tell you what to do, but help you get where you want to be. I often hear “I know what I need to do, I just can’t seem to do it.” The therapy partnership provides accountability and the benefit of someone who has the tools to dive deeper into the root of challenges and obstacles as they occur. These roots are often defensive patterns of what helped us survive for so many years, but now they are not effective in our current season.
I use a tailored approach to therapy for each client, but draw mostly from a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), somatic therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS) as well as Emotionally Focused Therapy for Individuals (EFIT). I also integrate several holistic elements into my therapy approach, involving the mind, body, and spirit based on what best serves each client.
grounding the nervous system
Still the Body
Before we can enter the space of your mind, it is essential to work on regulating and grounding your nervous system. When we are in fight or flight response, our nervous system releases over 30 different chemicals into our system to help prepare us for the “threat” that has presented itself.
Quiet the Mind
We all have negative thoughts that we repeat to ourselves and over time the more we repeat these thoughts to ourselves, they become a part of core beliefs. We filter every action and experience through this lens. Working together, we will identify and challenge these negative thought patterns and begin to develop healthy, adaptive thoughts.
Release
Now that you have some tools for regulating the body and understand some of your specific negative core beliefs and triggers, we will work together on fully integrating and regulating your mind, body, and spirit. Many people who have experienced trauma have learned not to trust their emotions.