Heather Hershey-Tompkins, LISW

About Heather

Heather Hershey-Tompkins is a licensed independent social worker with twenty years of professional experience. She offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, and depression. She speaks plainly and focuses on building strengths you already have.

Taking the first step feels hard, and she aims to make the process straightforward and respectful. Heather uses methods that help clients notice what matters to them and make small changes that fit daily life.

Background and approach

She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and commitment, and on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns. She also weaves in mindfulness to help with stress and Emotionally-Focused Therapy ideas when relationship or intimacy issues come up.

Her work includes support for coping with life changes, burnout and compassion fatigue, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and challenges with communication or isolation. She helps clients explore practical ways to boost confidence, improve social anxiety, and reconnect to life purpose. Conversations tend to be direct but compassionate, focusing on what can change now.

Sessions typically focus on one or two clear goals. Heather encourages small experiments between meetings to test new approaches. Progress is tracked in simple, concrete ways so clients can see what’s working.

She practices in Ohio and provides services in English. Heather emphasizes collaboration and respects each person’s pace through the work.

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care

Heather blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to guide online work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people identify what matters to them and take small actions that align with those values, which can help with motivation and coping during life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on noticing and changing thought patterns that fuel anxiety or low mood, using practical exercises that translate well to remote sessions.

She treats the choice of approach as a shared decision. Early sessions focus on what the person hopes to change and what feels possible. Together the therapist and client try brief strategies and adjust the plan based on what fits the person’s goals and daily life.

Online sessions are offered by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. These formats make it easier to fit sessions around school, work, or caregiving. They also allow for real-time coaching and short check-ins between longer meetings, which can help maintain momentum while working toward goals.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Heather commonly help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, grief, self-esteem difficulties, depression, and coping with life changes. Other areas include relationship and intimacy issues, career stress, bipolar concerns, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is collaborative and straightforward. She uses practical exercises, mindfulness practices, and conversations that focus on small, doable changes.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has twenty years of professional work experience supporting people with mood, stress, and life transition concerns.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

Heather holds an LISW credential and is licensed in Ohio under OH LISW I.0008996-SUPV. She practices in Ohio.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can she work with clients outside the United States?

International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are offered?

Sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How does the subscription and getting started process work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 20 years
Licensed: Ohio
Languages: English

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