Heather Raitz, LMSW

Heather Raitz is a Michigan-licensed LMSW with 10 years of professional experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, motivation, self-esteem, confidence, and major life transitions. As a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), she brings clinical training and practical coaching skills to support clients facing work-related challenges as well as personal struggles. She works with individuals on executive and professional coaching goals, as well as common concerns like panic, phobias, social anxiety, and the effects of trauma.

Heather approaches each person with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, adapting conversations and treatment plans to reflect individual needs and strengths. She pays particular attention to attachment and communication patterns, dissociation, and first responder or gender-related issues when relevant. Her practice emphasizes empowerment and collaboration - she supports clients as they take the courageous steps toward a more fulfilling life while offering guidance, tools, and insight tailored to their situation.

Clients can expect a therapist who balances empathy with practical strategies, helping them build coping skills, increase self-esteem, and make meaningful changes. Heather aims to create a supportive environment where people feel understood and are helped to move forward toward clearer goals and greater well-being.

Approaches That Guide Online Sessions

Heather integrates attachment-based therapy and EMDR techniques alongside client-centered principles to support healing and growth. Attachment-based therapy explores how early relationship patterns affect current connections and emotional responses, helping with communication problems, trust issues, and relationship stress. EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - is an evidence-informed approach that helps people process distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity, which can be useful for post-traumatic stress, panic, and phobias. Client-centered therapy focuses on creating an accepting, respectful therapeutic relationship where the client’s goals and experiences shape the work, useful for building self-esteem, coping skills, and confidence.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Heather collaborates with each client to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan over time as progress is made and new concerns arise.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit care into a busy schedule or to access support from home. These options let clients maintain continuity of care, try different communication styles, and work with a licensed professional in ways that match their comfort and logistical needs.