As your therapist Heidi will be there to listen and help you explore your feelings. She will build upon your strengths in helping you to identify options. She will assist you in discovering what is within your control and provide support as you take steps forward, as well as when/if there is a backward slide. Heidi will help in determining how you got here, however, your focus will be on where you go from here. 

It is her belief that the key to success in therapy is found within the relationship between the therapist and client. One of her best qualities is her ability to connect with people. Heidi seems to make friends wherever she goes. People describe her as warm, approachable, and non-judgmental, with a unique ability to make people feel special, valued, and heard.

Heidi holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University and a Master’s in Social Work from University of St. Thomas/College of St. Catherine. Heidi has extensive experience as a school social worker in Minneapolis Public Schools, which comes with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in mental health intervention, human growth and behavior, family dynamics, and community resources that she will bring into her therapeutic practice. She has worked with students with a vast range of needs and ability levels, diverse backgrounds, and socioeconomic classes. Heidi’s areas of strength include working with anxiety, depression, LGBTQ+, trauma, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, and teacher burnout.

Heidi strives to find a work-life balance. She enjoys spending time with family and friends. She soaks up as much sunshine as possible by running, gardening, being at the lake, or throwing the ball to her dog. She is a crafter and a hobby interior designer-always looking for ways to make their spaces welcoming, homey, and having her house full of loved ones. She meditates daily and makes every effort to live in each moment. She has an attitude of gratitude and knows it isn’t happy people who are grateful, it’s grateful people who are happy. 

I believe in not sweating the small stuff. As Michel J Fox says, “There’s no point in worrying because if something [bad] does happen, then you have lived it twice.”

** Heidi Carsello is an Independent Contractor at Orka Health and Wellness, PLLC