Your patterns make sense.
Let's start by understanding them.
About Me
I'm Heather Haringa, LPCC, M.Ed. I became a therapist because I know what it feels like to be stuck in patterns you can't quite name, let alone change.
There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from doing everything "right" and still feeling like something fundamental isn't working. Maybe you've built a life that looks solid from the outside but feels misaligned on the inside. Maybe you keep finding yourself in the same dynamics — at work, in relationships, with yourself — and you're tired of wondering why. Or maybe you're somewhere in the middle of a transition that's shaken areas of your life you thought were settled.
That's exactly where I do my best work.
My Path
I started at The Ohio State University, where I studied Human Development and Family Science with a focus on Childhood Development. This foundation was sparked by my interest about how early experiences shape who we become — a golden thread that has run through every decision along the way.
That passion led me to the classroom, where I spent more than 20 years as an elementary teacher and school counselor. Along the way, I earned my Master's of Education from Ashland University and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling as well as Clinical Counseling. Those two decades taught me more about people - how they learn, how people cope, how they protect themselves, and how they grow — than any textbook ever could. This time also deepened my love of Systems work.
During the fall of 2020, in heart of COVID, I saw the growing need for more mental health professionals. I decided to put my Clinical Counseling license to work. I started seeing people part-time in private practice as I continued my full-time profession as a school counselor. Longer sessions with individuals, couples and families allowed me the ability to go deeper and really get to the root of where our personalities, coping strategies and connection with others begin.
What I Believe About Change
Patterns tell stories. Every automatic behavior, every coping strategy, the way you've learned to move through the world — it all makes sense when you understand where it came from. The goal isn't to judge those patterns or muscle your way out of them. It's about getting curious to better understand and examine how these behaviors and coping strategies are working in your present life.
I believe the shaky, uncertain transitions you're navigating often doesn’t mean something is wrong. It may be an invitation to greater understanding and doing life differently. Feeling unsure often means you're standing at the edge of something great. Scary? Absolutely! And you don’t have to do it alone.
One of the greatest honors of my life is to walk alongside people as they take the next steps forward in order to step into a life that feels more authentically aligned to who they are and where they want to go.
My Approach
I don't believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Real change happens when you feel genuinely seen and understood by someone who shows up as a fully human, not as a blank slate.
My work is grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS), which offers a compassionate framework for understanding the different parts of who you are and the ways you protect yourself. Rather than treating your coping strategies as problems to eliminate, we get curious about them together. When you understand all the different parts of you — when they developed, what they were trying to protect you from — you can begin to lead from a grounded, integrated place rather than being pulled around by the loudest voice in the room.
Along with a deep understanding of how our childhood experiences shape the adults we become, I also utilize a broader systemic approach examining life within your family, your community, and our society as a whole. My personal and professional experiences have given me a deep appreciation for how early our patterns form and how long they follow us. My clinical training has given me the tools to help people make sense of their behaviors and understand how their experiences have shaped them.
Who I Work With
I work with clients of all ages, though I have a particular passion for adults navigating midlife transitions — people who have lived enough to know something needs to shift but aren't sure where to start. They're navigating things like:
Relationship patterns that keep repeating
Parenting challenges that are stirring up their own unresolved history
Life transitions — career shifts, empty nests, divorce, loss, identity questions
A quiet but persistent sense that they've been living someone else's version of their life
My clients are brave in their vulnerability, trust they don't have to do this alone, and hopeful enough to believe their lives don't have to stay the same. They don’t want someone to simply validate their feelings — they want to really understand themselves and step into their most authentic selves.
If that sounds like you, you're in the right place.
I work with clients in person and online, and I'd love to talk about whether we might be a good fit.