Owner of Your Bright Side Counseling Practice, LLC

Hello and welcome! I'm Heather Friedman, owner of Your Bright Side Counseling Practice, LLC, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Qualified Supervisor in Florida. I hold a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Central Florida and have been in clinical private practice for over a decade.

My work is grounded in both professional training and my own lived experience with mental health and healing. The "3 H's" that guide me — humility, humor, and honesty — are deeply tied to my personal journey and inform the intention I bring to every session. It is a deep passion of mine to support others through life's hardest moments and help them move from surviving to discovering their best selves.

I work across the lifespan, from age 5 through adulthood, supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families using evidence-based and integrative approaches. My clinical work is rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and related cognitive therapies, with additional training and certification in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, anxiety, and phobias, as well as certification in Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) for children and adolescents impacted by trauma. I also integrate Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy, and expressive arts techniques with younger clients.

My therapeutic approach emphasizes self-acceptance alongside meaningful growth. I strive to create a safe, supportive, and collaborative environment where clients and families feel genuinely understood and actively engaged in the healing process. I place deep value on coordinated care — participating in psychiatry coordination calls, writing clinical support letters, collaborating with other providers within a family's care team, and attending school meetings when needed to ensure consistency and advocacy across all systems of support. I believe true wellness is difficult to achieve when care is fragmented; healing is strongest when everyone involved is working in alignment. This commitment to collaborative care is something I take great pride in — and something I've found can be all too rare in healthcare.

For children and adolescents, I specialize in anxiety, ADHD, OCD, trauma, grief, depression, bipolar II, early substance use concerns, at-risk behaviors, sibling and family dynamics, self-esteem, identity development, divorce and separation adjustment, and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

For adults, I specialize in ADHD, OCD, grief, anxiety, depression, bipolar II, parenting and co-parenting support, family conflict, life transitions, young adult failure-to-launch concerns, and supporting spouses and partners of individuals navigating mental health and addiction-related challenges.

On a personal note, I'm a nature-loving mother of twins and wife to a first responder. I have a deep understanding of — and genuine enjoyment in supporting — individuals and families navigating the unique demands, stressors, and dynamics that come with the first responder lifestyle. In my free time, I enjoy writing poetry, playing guitar and drums, creating art, and above all else, spending time with my boys.

It is an honor to walk alongside individuals and families as they navigate healing, growth, and meaningful change. I look forward to exploring how I can support you, your child, or your family on that journey.