Falling Leaves Therapy
I’m pretty much obsessed with trees. I love to watch the change throughout the seasons and the way their roots grow so deep into the ground in search of life sustaining water and sustenance. I also love how they are the perfect metaphor for so many situations in our life. I chose the name Falling Leaves Therapy to reflect an important part of what I do as a therapist and what I strive to practice in my personal life as well. The art of letting go…
Every Fall trees release their leaves from their branches before the brutal forces of Winter. It seems cruel to be left with no cover for some of the harshest of days, but in actuality if leaves remained on the tree it would thirst to death. It wouldn’t have enough resources to sustain itself through the long winter. It is preparing for the cold and for the decrease in water and sunlight that Winter brings. It releases each leaf slowly, one or two at first and then in cascades that fall to the ground in a dazzling array of colors and patterns. The whole process is so vulnerable and beautiful.
We don’t want to let things go sometimes. We scream and hold our hands tight. And often times those things that we are called to let go of, the things we don’t want to release from our grasp, are the things that actually would free us to live our most fulfilling life. And sometimes those things won’t release their hold on us, seared firmly in the recesses of our mind, they haunt and torment us. The tree releases its leaves in order to prepare for the newness of life that comes in the Spring. It’s readying for the beauty of green growth, flowers, and new life that will adorn its branches.
My role as a therapist is to help people relinquish each of these leaves of trauma, hurts, of old behaviors, patterns, and habits in preparation to embrace the newness of life that comes with Spring. Spring is coming and it shines gloriously in you!
Heather C. Younts, MA, LPC
“Our greatest fear and our greatest need is to be fully seen and fully known” -Unknown
I have worked in many diverse treatment settings over the past 20 years, including community mental health, school-based services, psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment facilities, alcohol and drug treatment, and private practice. This diverse experience is part of what helps inform my work with my clients. 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 am currently licensed to practice through the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (SCLLR) as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC #5114). I graduated Erskine College in 2002 with dual majors of Psychology and Spanish. I completed my Masters of Arts in Counseling in 2007 at Columbia International University. In this program, we were uniquely trained in the integration and practice of the spiritual and psychological in faith-based and clinical settings. I view treating the whole person as essential to the therapy process and incorporate many holistic elements in my practice to allow for whole person healing and growth.
My areas of special interests include Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Depression, and ADHD. I am trained and certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which has proven very effective to reduce the distress related to traumatic events as well as reducing the hold of negative thoughts patterns and core beliefs. I am also working to complete my certifications as an ADHD specialist and integrated nutrition for mental health.
I grew up in Lexington, SC and have lived in Greenville for the past 15 years. I love the mountains, hiking, and spending time with my husband, our young son and our sweet Bernedoodle, Jessie. Jessie is a “therapy-dog-in training” and is usually present for my virtual sessions. I also enjoy reading, writing, and yoga when there are rare quiet moments.