Heather Stroud

Mission:
I am passionate about helping individuals develop, renew, and enhance skills necessary to improve one’s overall functioning. I attempt to normalize therapy and help individuals feel welcomed and supported to allow for growth and empowerment.

Focus:
I seek to help children, adolescents and young adults feel understood and learn healthy ways to express and cope with strong emotions. I also work to help families learn and utilize positive therapeutic skills to cope with family concerns resulting in enhanced family functioning. I encourage family cohesion while also respecting the importance of individuality. I seek to help each individual feel hopeful and empowered through practices utilized in therapy.

Experience:
I am a licensed professional counselor in the State of Texas and has over 8 years of experience providing therapeutic services for children, adolescents, young adults and their families. I am currently working towards her registration as a registered play therapist. I am trained in Trauma-Focused, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and has experience helping individuals of trauma involving abuse, domestic violence, and immigration issues. I am also trained in Triple P – Positive Parenting Practices and has helped parents learn alternative parenting techniques to improve family functioning. I have collaborated with schools to provide therapeutic services in an individual and group setting. I also applies lessons learned when serving as a teacher at a private school in inner city Houston. I am a member of the Texas Counseling Association and the National and Texas Association of Play Therapy.

Technique:
I value and respect the therapeutic relationship and attempts to help individuals feel welcomed and supported by building rapport and earning trust. I believes if children feel genuinely understood, children will then be encouraged to share more resulting in growth and a feeling of overall safety. I support the belief to meet the individual in the here and now; and therefore, applies treatment modalities that best fit the individual and their needs in their present state and situation. I encourage involvement from all that seek support and highlights strengths from all efforts contributed. I incorporate directive and non-directive play therapy techniques, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, solution-focused therapy, social skills building techniques, and family-based theoretical approaches. Overall, I attempt to help individuals feel healthier and hopeful.

About Me:
I am a wife and mother of two amazingly beautiful, strong-minded girls. My husband and I, who have been married over 10 years, still enjoy sitting in the backyard listening to Texas Country Music. I also like spending time with my family and especially value the relationship I have with my nephews. When I'm not busy taking my girls to various sport and extracurricular activities, I enjoy shopping, creating my latest Pinterest find, or sitting in a cozy chair coloring a mandala and listening to Pandora.

Education/Credentials:
Registered Play Therapist, Current work towards registration
Licensed Professional Counselor, 2013
University of Houston – Master of Education in Counseling
Baylor University – Master and Bachelors of Arts in Sociology