Heidi Summers , LMFT

Heidi Summers is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with more than two decades of clinical experience. She earned a Master of Science degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino in 1998 and is licensed to practice in California. Certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and trained in trauma treatment, she brings specialized skills to work with people affected by traumatic experiences.

Her clinical work has included both individual and group therapy for adults dealing with childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence, as well as more common concerns such as depression, anxiety, grief and loss, parenting challenges, relationship struggles, and major life transitions. Her approach is empathetic and accepting, grounded in an eclectic blend of therapeutic orientations tailored to each person’s needs.

Heidi’s personal life and history have informed her perspective as a therapist. She endured the loss of her first husband to cancer at age 30 while parenting three young children, later remarried a career U.S. Marine, relocated several times, and navigated lengthy deployments while raising a fourth child. Married with four adult children and six grandchildren, she draws on those life experiences to relate to clients facing loss, family change, and the stresses of caregiving and relocation.

Throughout her practice she focuses on creating a warm, respectful environment where people can address stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and family issues, parenting concerns, self-esteem, career questions, ADHD and mood disorders, and other related challenges.

Therapeutic Approaches Adapted for Online Care

Heidi frequently integrates client-centered therapy, which focuses on creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the client’s goals and values guide the work, and trauma-focused therapy, which offers structured methods to process and reduce the impact of traumatic experiences. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is also used when helpful to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety, depression, and stress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and is determined collaboratively. Heidi, as a licensed professional, works with each person to identify goals, preferences, and what feels most effective, adjusting methods over time to match progress and needs.

Online therapy with Heidi uses video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and access to care. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity through life changes, and work with a therapist from different locations. Therapists can adapt these modalities to deliver many proven therapeutic techniques while keeping the focus on the client’s comfort and goals.