Supporting: colleges & universities |
biomedical research |
veterinary teams |
lab animal researchers |
zoo & wildlife professionals |
shelter staff |
pharmaceutical companies |
Supporting: colleges & universities | biomedical research | veterinary teams | lab animal researchers | zoo & wildlife professionals | shelter staff | pharmaceutical companies |
Where Scholars and Scientists Thrive
Licensed clinical psychologist supporting academics, researchers, and veterinary and lab animal professionals
Academic and research environments run on brilliant people pushing past their limits — grad students, postdocs, faculty, and staff alike. I see it in university departments, pharmaceutical companies, and research labs too. The more your work demands of you, the easier it is to neglect yourself. I've spent three decades studying what happens when that pace doesn't let up and helping the people living it find their way back to steady ground.
I created Thrive Well-Being for you.
“Heather is an engaging and empathetic speaker who connected quickly with the staff. I highly recommend Heather as a compassion fatigue specialist, particularly for members of the animal science community!”
How I Can Help
For Groups & Organizations: Keynotes and workshops are the best way to engage me, usually for an hour. If you want to go deeper, I recommend discussion groups, longer trainings, and organizational well-being assessments for your team.
For Individuals: One-on-one coaching is for people who are already doing well but want to thrive: become more present, more resilient, and get more out of both their work and their relationships. Sessions are practical, with real strategies for real schedules, whether you're navigating a demanding research career, caring for animals every day, or just trying to bring more of yourself to the work you care about.
Meet Dr. Heather Hersh
I started my career in a community mental health center and a department of psychiatry, while also teaching for seven years as a professor at Dartmouth College. From there, I spent more time in university counseling centers and additional community mental health work, seeing adults of every age, background, and walk of life, in both urban and rural settings. Through all of those experiences, I learned one universal truth: well-being isn't one-size-fits-all.
I know burnout from the inside, not just the textbook, which is exactly why my strategies are built around sustainable self-care, not the kind that gets cut first when your schedule fills up. Self-care is the foundation of nearly every session I lead, though rarely in the way it's usually marketed. And for the record, I've never once recommended a bubble bath.
“Heather is the first person I contact when I need help with any kind of wellness issue for students in our graduate program. She does a wonderful job connecting with the students, in one-on-one meetings or larger group settings, and always provides thoughtful tips and advice.”