About Heather
Heather Zarate Santiago is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps people navigate stressful and painful life moments. She draws on seven years of clinical experience to support those dealing with anxiety, trauma, parenting stress, and struggles with self-esteem.
Background and approach
Heather works in both English and Spanish and sees clients based in California. Her style is warm and direct.
Sessions focus on clear, practical steps that fit daily life. She listens for patterns in communication, impulsivity, and relationships, then helps clients try small changes to test what works.
Heather uses evidence-based techniques to address symptoms and make things more manageable. She helps people learn coping skills for anxiety and attention challenges, and offers support after traumatic events.
The goal is to reduce overwhelm and increase day-to-day functioning. Conversations also cover family dynamics, caregiver stress, and difficult transitions like separation or immigration concerns.
Heather helps clients sort through complicated feelings such as jealousy, grief, or questions about life purpose. She emphasizes restoring self-worth and building steady routines.
Practicality matters in her work. Sessions may include behavior strategies, communication practice, and small homework tasks to try between meetings.
Heather aims to help clients build resilience, strengthen relationships, and feel more able to handle setbacks.
Evidence-Based Approaches and Online Care
Heather uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques focused on skill-building and recovery. One approach helps people learn concrete coping skills for anxiety and attention challenges, such as breathing exercises, pacing tasks, and structuring daily routines to reduce overwhelm. This is useful for stress, ADHD-related impulsivity, and social anxiety.Another common focus addresses trauma and post-traumatic stress with careful processing and stabilization strategies. That work prioritizes safety, grounding skills, and gradual exposure to memories or situations that cause distress, helping people reclaim daily functioning after difficult events.
Choosing the right method is a collaborative process. Heather will talk with clients about their goals, try different techniques, and adjust the approach based on what helps. Clients are invited to give feedback so therapy stays practical and relevant.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit varied needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skill demonstrations. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messages let people share brief updates, do check-ins between sessions, and work through homework prompts without scheduling a full call. These options aim to make continuing care more flexible and accessible for people juggling busy lives.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
What is her professional background?
What credential and location apply to this therapist?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
What session formats are available?
How does billing and cost work?
How do I begin working with her?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
Also works with
- Experience
- 7 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English, Spanish