Dr. Naharia Heard
Practical, collaborative counseling for stress and trauma
LPC Virginia
- Experience
- 10 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Naharia
Dr. Naharia Heard brings more than a decade of clinical experience to her practice in Virginia.
Background and approach
She holds a Doctorate in Mental Health Counseling and practices as an LPC, combining training in evidence-informed methods to help people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, grief, substance use, and trauma-related concerns. Her background includes work with individuals facing relationship and family strain as well as coping challenges that emerge from life transitions and career pressures.
Dr. Heard integrates cognitive behavioral strategies with client-centered and dialectical techniques to support practical skill building and emotional processing.
She also draws on motivational interviewing and narrative approaches when addressing motivation, identity, or the stories people tell about themselves. With experience addressing sexual abuse, combat-related stress, and compassion fatigue, she aims to tailor care to each person’s goals while emphasizing usable tools for everyday life.
Therapy with Dr. Heard focuses on collaborative planning, strengthening coping skills, and exploring patterns that contribute to distress.
She works in English and conducts sessions through a range of remote formats for clients located in Virginia.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Dr. Heard commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in online work. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing practical behavioral changes to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. DBT emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills that can be practiced between sessions to manage intense emotions and relationship challenges.Choosing the best approach is collaborative and informed by each person's goals, preferences, and the issues they bring. The therapist will discuss options, try techniques, and adjust methods over time so the plan fits the client rather than forcing a single model onto the work.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it possible to practice skills in real time, check in more frequently when needed, and continue momentum between meetings, while accommodating clients who need remote access within Virginia.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Licensed
Virginia
Languages
English