About Dr. Heather Clifford
(she/her)
I have a memory of sitting in my middle school guidance counselor’s room filling out a form that asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” At that time I did not know how to spell the word psychologist (spelling still isn’t my strong suit), but I knew that was what I wanted to do. A psychologist helped me when I was younger and inspired me to want to help other people.
My personal values of learning, connection, and justice motivated me through my schooling and continue to motivate me today. I’m committed to practicing psychology because I have seen how therapy can empower people to make changes in their life and help them improve their relationships with themselves and others.
I earned my bachelor’s degree studying psychology and art history at the University of Rochester. After graduation I spent a year volunteering for City Year in San Antonio. The experience deepened my understanding of the importance of mental health care and motivated me to go to graduate school. I earned my master’s and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology at La Salle University in Philadelphia.
Throughout my career I have worked with people suffering from a wide range of mental health problems in many different settings. I discovered I have a knack for helping young adults who are going through tough life transitions, experiencing loss, or delving into self discovery.
For more details on my work history please feel free to ask during your consultation.
My Therapeutic Approach
What to expect from therapy at Emerging Psychology
A nonjudgemental, caring, and affirming attitude
Working together with you as a team
Collaborative goal setting
Explorations of your values
Interactive activities during sessions
Learning skills to handle difficult thoughts and feelings more effectively
My Approach
One of the greatest causes of suffering is attempting to have only the positive in life, without going through anything negative. I wish I could tell you that coming to therapy will solve all of your problems, and that after a few sessions your life will be perfect, but deep down we all know that is impossible. What therapy can do is help you navigate your negative thoughts, the hurt you have endured, and the roadblocks you are currently experiencing. In order to help you do this I utilize a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
The goal of ACT (pronounced as one word - like “act”) is to help you create a rich and meaningful life, while accepting the unavoidable pain that arises along the way. I feel passionately about this approach because it normalizes experiencing all emotions including sadness, anxiety, and anger. ACT will teach you skills to help manage the inevitable pain and suffering while being more present for the beauty and joy that life has to offer.
FAQs
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Emerging Psychology provides therapy online through a secure therapy portal.
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I am an out of network provider. This means I do not accept payment from insurance companies. I am happy to provide you with a superbill for your insurance. Please reach out if you need help figuring out if you have out of network benefits.
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My practice is fee-for-service. The standard fee is $250 for a 50 minutes session. I accept all major credit cards for payment.
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Yes! I offer a free twenty minute mutual fit call. During this call I will answer any questions you may have and we will decide together if we are a good fit to move forward in working together.