I have been working in the behavioral health field, primarily with co-occurring disorders, since January 2000. I've provided services in a variety of public and private settings and am excited to share my professional and lived experience via Ridge & Swale Counseling. The name came to me while hiking the Lake Michigan shoreline, where one finds challengingly high dune ridges and low depressions known as swales. This felt like an important metaphor in the context of therapy, which we can do in the office, via telehealth, sitting out on the lawn, or through a mindful walk and talk on a nearby trail. I am here to walk with you, figuratively and literally, through this ridge and swale landscape within which we exist. Specialty areas for me include working with individuals who have experienced trauma, who are trying to find new ways of coping while decreasing self-defeating and/or addictive behaviors, and who have experienced loss and are moving through the process of grief. I also have training and a personal background that helps me assist loved ones and care givers for people struggling with addictions, mental illness, and/or chronic or terminal medical conditions. You can contact me through this page or you are also welcome to call me at 231-333-4707 or email me at heather@ridgeandswale.com if you would like more information. Please note that this business does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, or political beliefs. You are welcome here.