Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, PsyD?
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Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, PsyD, Psychologist
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Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, PsyD

Psychologist

1501 Lee Highway Suite 130 Arlington VA, 22209
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About

Dr. Hecht is a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner of Resolve Psychological Services located in Virginia. She is dedicated to providing the highest level of care to the people she serves, and brings a warm approach to clinical care, providing a safe environment for growth and healing.

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Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, PsyD
Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, PsyD's Expert Contributions
  • Should I see a psychologist or psychiatrist for alcohol addiction?

    Thank you for your brave question and admission. You should begin with a psychotherapy practice specialized in the treatment of substance use. Unfortunately, our practice is not specialized in substance abuse, but you should be able to find resources here: https://www.samhsa.gov/. Alcohol addiction can be psychologically and physically dangerous, and you may need to be medically detoxed, given the risk of seizure (and even death!) for people at certain levels of addiction. Having a psychiatrist would be more of an adjunct to your main treatment program which is done by a psychotherapy practice (that may include psychologists). Alcohol addiction is often best treated in temporary residential settings (what you might know as "rehab"), and I would encourage you not to be scared! Going to a rehab facility is like a big dose of care that hopefully nourishes you for a long time. I am sorry you are going through this, and I wish you all the best in your journey. READ MORE

  • Can CBT help with obesity?

    Hello -- this question is a hard one for me to answer because as an eating disorder specialist, I look at "obesity" differently than the rest of the world. I believe that we live in a criminally fat phobic culture that shames people into losing weight with attempts at diets despite the actual outcome data of dieting which shows that over 90% of dieters either 1) do not lose weight from the attempted diet or 2) gain back all the weight they have lost if not more. Therefore, when doctors, families, partners, or society say that you need to lose weight, they are asking for something that all evidence says is biologically impossible and therefore only creating shame. Or, they are asking you to adopt an eating disorder and/or a very toxic relationship with food and body that can take over so much of your spirit. So, I teach people about biological set point (the weight your biology and genetics wants you to be), intuitive eating/food freedom, as well as Health at Every Size (HAES). There is a whole evidence-based movement against the idea that people in large bodies are unhealthy. You can learn more here: https://asdah.org/health-at-every-size-haes-approach/. At Resolve Psychological Services, we orient you to the eating disorder recovery culture. Our work is to figure out how to accept our bodies at their set points, and also validate the difficulty of that given the cultural context in which we live. We are centered in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), so we work on changing the conversation with the self in regards to the self-hating messages that so many of us have internalized. The work is beautiful, as are you. Call us today at Resolve Psychological Services. https://www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com/ READ MORE

  • What is the most common drug used to treat bipolar disorder?

    Thank you for your question and for your care for your friend. I am not a medication prescriber, so I am not able to offer medication recommendations. However, a psychiatrist should have really good answers for you. My practice, Resolve Psychological Services, offers talk therapy for a myriad of disorders, and we use evidence-based practices in our treatments. We would love to care for you or your friend in times of distress. Please don't hesitate to reach out. https://www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com/ READ MORE

  • How can I help my child with behavior problems?

    Your question is a perfect question when beginning psychotherapy. When we work with children with behavioral problems, a huge proportion of the work is teaching the parent how to help their child. We call this "parent training," and we love to do it. We use principals of gentle parenting, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and even a treatment called Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) when we help parents help their children. There is so much to learn as parents, and so much evidence-based parenting that truly helps! If you are struggling, reach out to us today at https://www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com/. We would love to have you! READ MORE

  • Is psychotherapy effective in a PTSD diagnosed patient?

    I am sorry to hear of your trauma and trauma response. It is so hard to live with PTSD, especially when you have not had treatment yet. I hope that it is hopeful to hear that psychotherapy is extremely effective for PTSD and that there is lots of scientific support for this assertion. The best treatment for PTSD involve some form of exposure therapy to the story of the trauma. This is really scary for PTSD patients, and understandably so! At our practice, Resolve Psychological Services, we let you lead the way as far as letting us know if and when you are ready to do trauma work. For some people, they may want to take a year in therapy just to be sure that their therapist is safe, before beginning trauma work. That is ok with us. We understand, and we never push you before you are ready. Please stay encouraged, and please take your time in your journey. https://www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com/ READ MORE

  • Can a psychologist help with obesity?

    Hello -- this question is a hard one for me to answer because as an eating disorder specialist, I look at "obesity" differently than the rest of the world. I believe that we live in a criminally fat phobic culture that shames people into losing weight with attempts at diets despite the actual outcome data of dieting which shows that over 90% of dieters either 1) do not lose weight from the attempted diet or 2) gain back all the weight they have lost if not more. Therefore, when doctors, families, partners, or society say that you need to lose weight, they are asking for something that all evidence says is biologically impossible and therefore only creating shame. Or, they are asking you to adopt an eating disorder and/or a very toxic relationship with food and body that can take over so much of your spirit. So, I teach people about biological set point (the weight your biology and genetics wants you to be), intuitive eating/food freedom, as well as Health at Every Size (HAES). There is a whole evidence-based movement against the idea that people in large bodies are unhealthy. You can learn more here: https://asdah.org/health-at-every-size-haes-approach/. At Resolve Psychological Services, we orient you to the eating disorder recovery culture. Our work is to figure out how to accept our bodies at their set points, and also validate the difficulty of that given the cultural context in which we live. We are centered in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), so we work on changing the conversation with the self in regards to the self-hating messages that so many of us have internalized. The work is beautiful, as are you. Call us today at Resolve Psychological Services. https://www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com/ READ MORE

  • Can a chiropractor help a child with anxiety?

    Hello! What an excellent question. I think that there is a lot of misinformation floating around about how to treat anxiety. It can even seem like children are too young for therapy or medication. However, treatment for childhood anxiety cannot be provided by a chiropractor. The professionals you are looking for are licensed psychotherapists and in some cases, psychiatrists, to prescribe psychotropic medication. Most children with anxiety do not need psychiatric medication, or, if they do, they can receive it from their pediatrician. However, the first line treatment for clinical anxiety in children is psychotherapy. My practice, Resolve Psychological Services, is specialized in treating children with an array of challenges, including all types of anxiety disorders. The first line treatment for anxiety in children and adults is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). We provide CBT in a developmentally appropriate way for your child, ensuring that they are helped in a way that they can understand based on their age. We love working with children, and we incorporate elements of play in therapy because play is the language of children. When you work with us, you can be sure that you are getting the most evidence-based type of care for clients of all ages, and that we are trained to meet your child's needs based both on their age and their clinical challenges. At Resolve, you are always in good hands, as we prioritize competence, warmth, and results as paramount. Check out the links below to learn more about CBT for kids, how play is involved in CBT for children, and our practice - Resolve Psychological Services: https://www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com/ https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/cbt-for-kids https://beckinstitute.org/blog/the-role-of-play-in-cbt-with-children/ READ MORE

  • What is the most effective therapy for schizophrenia?

    I am so sorry that this is happening to your friend. Schizophrenia is best treated with excellent medication management (by a very experienced psychiatrist). Some people with schizophrenia go through seasons wherein they are not able to take care of themselves safely or they can become a threat to themselves or others. In those cases, they will need to have temporary stays in hospital settings in order to get the right care they need, and have their medications tweaked to best help them. I would also recommend that the people closest to your friend get the support they need through support groups and/or psychotherapy. Best wishes to you all. READ MORE

  • Sertraline 50 mg

    Thank you for reaching out! I am not a prescriber of medication, so I cannot give advice related to medication. That is an excellent question, however, and so important to not be afraid to ask. I would recommend that you ask your prescriber about what is safe with this or any other medication you are taking. Best wishes to you! READ MORE

Areas of expertise and specialization

Psychology

Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, PsyD's Practice location

Resolve Psychological Services

1501 Lee Highway Suite 130 -
Arlington, VA 22209
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New patients: 773-492-6813
www.resolvepsychologicalservices.com

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Get to know Psychologist Dr. Heather Leahy Hecht, who serves patients in Arlington, Virginia.

Dr. Hecht is a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner of Resolve Psychological Services in Rosslyn in Arlington, Virginia. She is dedicated to providing the highest level of care to the people she serves, and brings a warm approach to clinical care, providing a safe environment for growth and healing.

Offering services for people of all ages, she is well-trained in a wide range of clinical issues, including depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, OCD, panic disorder, eating disorders, relationship concerns, couples issues, LGBTQQIAAP concerns, grief, professional distress, and identity issues.

With a broad educational background, Dr. Hecht earned her Doctor of Clinical Psychology degree from the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University. She brings an integrated and evidence-based approach to care, utilizing Cognitive-Behavioral, Psychodynamic, and Family Systems techniques.

In her clinical role, she has a specialty in the treatment of eating disorders and body image distress, treating conditions such as anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, chronic dieting, and body dysmorphia. 

Moreover, Dr. Hecht has a special area of interest in the treatment of relationship issues. She offers treatment for single people who are struggling to navigate and sustain relationships as well as for couples having trouble getting out of dysfunctional relationship patterns. She utilizes Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy and is a Certified Gottman couples therapist, using interventions from both approaches to increase emotional intimacy and promote deep connectivity for couples.

Finally, she specializes in the treatment of children, helping them overcome childhood depression, anxiety, and defiance by using a family-oriented and developmentally appropriate approach to care. She also offers Play Therapy as well as Trauma-Focused CBT for children who have experienced traumatic events.

Psychology is the science of behavior and mind. It includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, as well as feeling and thought. It is an academic discipline of immense scope. Psychologists assess, diagnose, and treat the psychological problems and behavioral dysfunctions resulting from, or related to, physical and mental health. In addition, they play a major role in the promotion of healthy behavior, preventing diseases and improving patients’ quality of life.

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