Heather Liebert, PsyD

What is your philosophy in psychotherapy?

People have innate resilience that is designed to help them navigate their family and community of origin. As we grow, our environment and the people around us change, making the strategies that were once needed no longer serve our current context and selves. This causes suffering. Therapy is an editing process to fill in gaps, let go of what is no longer needed or working, and reclaim that resilience to more flexibly navigate our lives.

What approaches do you use to help your clients?

Using integrative strategies grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and psychoanalytic theory we will refine and develop your story while developing skills to navigate daily life.

What are your areas of expertise and clients you work well with?

I specialize in a wide variety of body-focused concerns such as aging, trauma, chronic illness, gender dysphoria, postpartum depression and eating disorders, among others. This specialty extends to normative developmental processes such as early adulthood and phase of life transitions. I am a specialist in LGBTQAI issues.

What’s your therapeutic style with your clients?

My therapeutic style is relational and grounded in skills-building and story-telling. We will both learn pragmatic skills to reduce suffering and improve daily functioning, while also considering the internal narratives and history that get in the way of lasting change.

What languages do you speak?

English

Past Experience and Education

Dr. Liebert is a licensed clinical psychologist with broad experience and training. She graduated with a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a PsyD from the Wright Institute in Berkeley CA. She completed an APA-accredited internship at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and participated in a post-doctoral residency with the University of California, Davis. Dr. Liebert went on to complete a post-doctoral fellowship in psychoanalysis from the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis.

Dr. Liebert previously worked in college counseling centers, outpatient mental health clinics, and at Kaiser Permanente. While there, she developed a deep specialization in working with clients experiencing eating disorders, gender dysphoria, postpartum depression, chronic illness, and those navigating college and early adult life. Most recently she was a leader at Kaiser Permanente, responsible for the development and quality of trauma programs, a program supporting chronically mentally ill clients, and a program for general therapy clients.

Dr. Liebert has training and consultation experience on topics related to eating disorders, postpartum depression, gender care, and DEI topics. She has also facilitated leadership training and workshops on psychological safety in the workplace.

LICENSE: CALIFORNIA / PSY29911