Heather Friend, LCSW, CSW

Heather Friend is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, parenting challenges, addictions, and midlife transitions. She also supports people coping with depression, bipolar symptoms, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and struggles with self-esteem and intimacy. Heather writes plainly and meets people where they are without judgment. Her style is warm, accepting, and collaborative. She aims to build a respectful space where clients can notice strengths and gain emotional clarity. Sessions move at a pace set by the client and focus on small, practical steps that make daily life feel more manageable. Heather combines several evidence-informed approaches to match what each person needs. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques to help people notice thoughts and commit to values-based action. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try new behaviors. Attachment-based ideas guide work on connection and relational patterns. With eight years of clinical experience, Heather is familiar with complex situations such as co-morbidity, chronic illness, adoption and foster care issues, and caregiver stress. She often addresses trauma, abuse, and loss alongside concerns about work and life transitions. Heather practices in Colorado as an LCSW and CSW. Sessions are scheduled to fit into people’s routines and are paced to build comfort and trust. She welcomes questions and invites prospective clients to reach out to learn more.

How therapeutic approaches work in online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck, then choose actions that align with their values to create a more meaningful life. It can help with anxiety, depression, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce symptoms like worry, low mood, and sleep problems. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people develop healthier ways of relating and connecting. Finding the right approach is part of the process. Heather collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences. Together they try techniques, check what helps, and adjust the plan over time so therapy stays useful and relevant. If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session options before booking since formats were not specified in the original biography. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so therapy can be scheduled around work or caregiving demands. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and attachment-focused work for remote conversations, using step-by-step exercises, values work, and behavior experiments that fit everyday life.