Heather Finn

“The body heals with play, the mind heals with laughter, and the spirit heals with joy.” – Proverb

Welcome and thank you for being here to support your child!

My name is Heather, and I bring over 25 years of experience and expertise in treating impacts of traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, attachment challenges, ADHD and grief on children, adolescents and their families. I am a licensed clinical social worker in both Arizona and Massachusetts. Prior to living in Tucson, I worked as Clinical Director at the Boston Trauma Center under the medical direction of Dr. Bessel van Der Kolk and spent time deeply immersed in the study and treatment of Complex Trauma.

My therapeutic philosophy is firmly grounded in belief that everyone possesses innate wisdom for healing and growth.

I am passionate about integrating both mind and body based approaches into my work and am a co-developer of an evidence informed therapeutic approach called Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART) which I practice as part of my work at Desert Village.

SMART treatment utilizes movement, sensation and exploration as the entry point for helping children and adolescents better understand, and more effectively regulate their internal experience, so they can learn to express their feelings, thoughts and needs in developmentally appropriate ways.

When working with children or adolescents, I often find that the most powerful healing takes place when we access individual’s strengths, promote felt safety and support connection.

I strongly encourage caregivers to partner with me in their child’s healing, which may include meeting together for caregiver consultation and joining session with their children when clinically appropriate. While working together as a team, we can more easily discover how to translate the growth that occurs within therapy room into life at home and in the community.

In addition to utilizing SMART, I may may also integrate other therapeutic approaches into my work when clinically indicated. I am trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Narrative Family Therapy, Parent Child Interaction Therapy and the Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) Framework.

I know from my years working with children and families that there’s always a “road to possible” even when things feel impossible.

I would welcome hearing from you to find out together what might be possible for your family.