Heather Libbey, Edm PhD LP

I believe that people adapt to challenges throughout their lives. Although useful at the time, these adaptations can sometimes become their own challenges, become rigid, or lose their effectiveness in new settings. At some point, we may need to examine how and where they fit and introduce new skills and perspectives.

After graduating from Carleton College, I worked in schools in Oakland, California and with at-risk youth in the Twin Cities. I received my Master’s degree from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education and earned my doctorate at the University of Minnesota in Educational Psychology.

Initially, I focused on adolescent development during my early training at the Judge Baker Children's Center (Harvard Medical School) and the University of Minnesota Pediatrics Department. I completed two fellowships in adolescent health at the University of Minnesota Pediatrics Department, where I was a CDC Prevention Research Center Fellow and Maternal and Child Health Fellow in Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH). At The Emily Program, I finished my Post-Doc working with adolescents and adults, both individually and in groups, on a range of concerns. While there, my interest in human development expanded beyond adolescents to all ages, and I had the honor of working with clients through many stages of their lives.

My clinical training and education provided a strong foundation of treatment approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic therapy, family-based treatment, exposure and response treatment, acceptance and commitment therapy, and motivational interviewing. I combine and tailor these approaches to meet the unique needs of each client as we work on a variety of concerns, including eating disorders, depression, anxiety, OCD, relationship concerns, and major life transitions.