Renae Heilman LPC

Welcome to my page. As a counselor, I ask a lot of questions — it's how I get to know the people I work with as fully as possible. I believe it's only fair to offer the same in return, so my clients and potential clients can know who I am before we ever meet.

I began my career as a Deaf Education teacher. After my second son was born, I moved into teaching American Sign Language at the high school level, where it counted toward foreign language credit. After my third son was born, I became the high school counselor — and while serving in that role, I returned to school to complete my LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). I then spent several years as a Special Education Counselor before opening my private practice in 2022.

My husband and I have four children — three boys and one girl — with only our youngest still at home, now in high school. We are also a foster family; since 2019, roughly thirty children have come through our home. It has been a genuine journey and, I believe, a calling. It is not easy, and it has brought me to my knees in more ways than one, but I consider myself deeply blessed to serve these children from hard places.

In my practice, I work with a wide range of ages — young children in play therapy, teens and tweens, and adults. My focus is individual therapy, and I consider it my greatest strength. I serve children and families in foster care and work extensively with anxiety and depression. I also enjoy partnering with parents to help them navigate the many challenges of raising children, and I support those working through grief and trauma.

I am an active therapist. I will talk, I will ask questions, I will challenge you, and I may even cry with you. While I draw from a variety of theories and perspectives to meet each person's needs, my primary approach is CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). CBT addresses the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and actions — and it is empowering to know we can rewrite the script and rewire our brains. We all have moments of flawed thinking, or cognitive distortions, but when they become predominant, they create real problems for us. In addition to CBT, I incorporate play therapy, EMDR, TF-CBT, and TBRI principles into my work.