Heather Hanford, AMFT

Clinical Approach

I provide affirming, client-centered therapy for children, teens, adults, and couples, and I have a particular passion for working with neurodivergent clients and neurodiverse couples.

Whether you’re navigating ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, big life transitions, or identity exploration, I offer a calm, supportive space tailored to your needs.

You (or your child, family, or relationship) are at the center of the process. Therapy with me starts with deep respect for your lived experience.

One of my greatest joys as a therapist is supporting clients who have felt like they’re “too much” or “not enough” in a world not built for them. Together, we’ll work to reconnect you with your strengths and sense of self.

I draw from a range of evidence-based and creative approaches, including:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Mindfulness and Positive Psychology
• Motivational Interviewing
• Narrative Therapy
• Relational and Attachment Theory
• Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples
• Art and pop culture-based therapy
• Neurodiversity-affirming frameworks

The Healing Power of Play Therapy

While adults experience therapy through the exchanging of words, kids process their emotions and connect to themselves and others through play. As a child therapist specializing in child-centered play therapy, I create a nurturing environment where kids feel truly seen and accepted for who they are. Grounded in the principles of Carl Rogers and Virginia Axline, my work supports children in developing emotional insight, confidence, and resilience through play-based connection.

This non-directive, empathetic approach allows children to process their experiences in a way that’s natural and healing for them, whether they’re navigating anxiety, ADHD, sensory overwhelm, life transitions, and beyond.

Supporting Teens Through Transitions

Adolescence is full of intensity, identity shifts, and big emotions, and for neurodivergent teens, these experiences can feel especially overwhelming.

I work with teens in a creative, collaborative way to help them process what they’re going through, whether that’s anxiety, perfectionism, burnout, sensory overload, or feeling like they don’t quite fit in.

Many of the teens I work with are navigating autism, ADHD, or other forms of neurodivergence, often feeling the weight of being misunderstood. Therapy can offer a space to unpack those experiences, connect with identity, and learn ways to self-advocate.

In our work together, we might explore emotions through conversation, music, pop culture, art, or simply by having a trusted adult to talk to who really listens.

I support teens in untangling the pressures to be “perfect” and helping them connect with a more compassionate and authentic version of themselves.

Intersectionality & Social Justice

One of my passions, both in and out of the therapy office, is social justice, including continuously educating myself on related current issues and events. I’m a firm believer that cultural awareness and competence is a critical skill for work in the mental health field, and I am dedicated to lifelong learning. To that end, in addition to affirming neurodiversity, I work hard to provide inclusive care: LGBTQ+ affirming, actively anti-racist, sex positive, and with awareness of intersectionality.

Education & Experience

Prior to joining the TheraThrive team, I had the honor of counseling students at Glendale Community College in Glendale, California through challenges associated with life-stage transitions, academic stress, social anxiety, family conflict, individuation, and others. I particularly enjoyed work centered around interpersonal relationships, especially with my clients who identified as neurodiverse.

I earned my Master of Arts in Psychology, specializing in Marriage and Family Therapy from California Southern University, deciding to change career paths after years in marketing, graphic design, and business operations management. My undergraduate work culminated in a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Communications at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. I am currently a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #144604), and I am working towards licensure under the supervision of TheraThrive’s Clinical Director, Katie Malone, LPCC, LMFT.