Heather B. Hammock, M.Ed., LPC
Hi, I am Heather Hammock. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia living in Hanover County with a passion for providing therapy to stressed moms. I do good work with moms that struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, maternal mental health, parenting, and other life issues. With three amazing boys, I know how tricky it can be to juggle all of the day-to-day necessities. In addition to that, life doesn’t always go the way we planned and that can be really hard. It can make you feel like something you did or didn’t do is what caused the struggle. Many times, that is not the case and small shifts can make a big difference!
Becoming a mother is a major life transition.
FAQs
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I love spending time with my husband and boys as well as family and friends. I also love to read, be near the water, and exercise.
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I am dedicated to helping moms achieve balance and feeling like themselves. I opened my practice in 2023. With my specialized training in maternal mental health and being a mom myself, my clients feel very heard and understood.
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I worked in college counseling centers for 8 years, full time, until having my third child.
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The transition to motherhood was not easy for me. I noticed that was common after talking to many friends and acquaintances. I decided I wanted to support other moms in their journey.
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Degrees
University of Lynchburg, Virginia, M.Ed.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Longwood University, Virginia, B.S.
Psychology, Criminal Justice
Licensure
Licensed Professional Counselor (VA #0701006353)
Trainings
PSI Perinatal Mental Health 2-Day Certificate Course
PSI Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Course
EMDRIA EMDR Basic Training
Stress Management for Moms
Having a growth mindset is an incredible mental strength. If you believe in yourself and surround yourself with others that believe in you, then you can overcome stressors. My clients develop self-trust and self-compassion, increasing resilience.
I help the client feel understood first. This is so important because who wants to feel alone in struggles? It’s always nice to know someone else gets it or has been there.
We will increase self-awareness for what’s going well and what’s not working. This helps prep for the goal-making process.
My clients like to set goals and learn skills, when they are ready, to accomplish those goals. I pull most of my strategies from Mindfulness, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR and solution-focused modalities. I love the interpersonal neurobiology framework and teach this to my clients as well as the different attachment styles and how that affects relationships with self and others. I have advanced training in perinatal mental health.
Self-care for moms
Life challenges can be tricky. “When we give ourselves compassion, this allows us to cope with the pain of life without becoming derailed by it.”
Self-compassion is a concept we will practice. Some moms set expectations for themselves that are unrealistic or hard to meet. Then, we feel awful when we do not meet those expectations.